Ice is opening the path to a new type of nanomaterials.

 

"A new form of ice very similar in molecular structure to liquid water (left), compared to ordinary crystalline ice (right). Credit: University of Cambridge" (ScitechDaily.com/Strange New Form of Ice Discovered – “Raises Many Questions on the Very Nature of Liquid Water”)

Ice is a very effective product. 

The MDA (Medium-density Amorphous ice) has features from both solid and liquid forms of water. That ice causes discussions about the differences between the liquid and solid forms of water. The MDA is a combination of ice and liquid water.  

"The team found that ball-milling created an amorphous form of ice, which, unlike all other known ices, had a density similar to that of liquid water and whose state resembled water in solid form. They named the new ice medium-density amorphous ice (MDA).

The crystalline ice can use as a nanostructure. 

The crystalline ice forms a similar structure to graphene. A graphene is a 2D form of carbon. There is one atom layer structure in graphene. There is a possibility that the water would ice over the layer. The difference between water and graphene is that the size of atoms in that 2D-water molecule web is not homogenous. 

But forming a 2D water layer would be a similar process to making graphene. The easiest way is to make ice on top of the layer.  And after that. A very highly accurate laser system can remove extra atoms from the ice layer until only a single layer of water molecules remains.

The laser removes extra layers away from those molecules. That offers the possibility to create similar structures. When we think about water molecules as the structure we always forget that magnetic fields can make ice or a stable 2D layer of water molecules. 

The magnetic field can pull that water molecule layer on the metal plate. Or otherwise, the two magnetic fields that push those molecules from both sides can make the hollow water structure or "water fullerene". 

2D ice can use for the same purposes as graphene. Or the system can put that atom-thin water layer between two graphene-  or extremely thin metal layers. And that thing gives the nanomaterials new features. If that 2D- or atom-thin water can stabilize. It can be an effective tool in nanotechnology. 

https://scitechdaily.com/strange-new-form-of-ice-discovered-raises-many-questions-on-the-very-nature-of-liquid-water/

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