Synthesis of Monolayer Ice on a Hydrophobic Metal Surface
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.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2601.22460,
title = {Synthesis of Monolayer Ice on a Hydrophobic Metal Surface},
author = {Qiaoxiao Zhao and Meiling Xu and Dong Li and Zhicheng Gao and Yudian Zhou and Wenbo Liu and Jingyan Chen and Peng Cheng and Sheng Meng and Kehui Wu and Yanchao Wang and Lan Chen and Baojie Feng},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.22460},
year = {2026}
}