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arXiv · 2601.22460

Synthesis of Monolayer Ice on a Hydrophobic Metal Surface

Qiaoxiao Zhao·Meiling Xu·Dong Li·Zhicheng Gao·Yudian Zhou·Wenbo Liu·Jingyan Chen·Peng Cheng·Sheng Meng·Kehui Wu·Yanchao Wang·Lan Chen·Baojie Feng
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Abstract

Understanding water-metal interactions is central to disciplines spanning catalysis, electrochemistry, and atmospheric science. Monolayer ice phases are well established on hydrophilic surfaces, where strong water-substrate interactions stabilize ordered hydrogen-bond networks. In contrast, their formation on hydrophobic metals has been deemed ther-modynamically unfavourable, with water typically assembling into amorphous films, three-dimensional crystallites, or interlocked bilayer ice. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of a monolayer ice phase on the hydrophobic Au(111) surface using a low-energy-electron-assisted growth method. Combined experimental characterizations including low-energy electron diffraction, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, complemented by first-principles calculations, prove that the monolayer ice phase composes of intact water molecules. This approach provides a generalizable strategy for stabilizing ordered two-dimensional ice on inert substrates and offers new insight into the interplay between water and low-energy electrons at hydrophobic interfaces.

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Qiaoxiao Zhao, Meiling Xu, Dong Li, Zhicheng Gao, Yudian Zhou, Wenbo Liu, Jingyan Chen, Peng Cheng, Sheng Meng, Kehui Wu, Yanchao Wang, Lan Chen, Baojie Feng. 2026-01-30. Synthesis of Monolayer Ice on a Hydrophobic Metal Surface. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c17012

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