Japanese researchers have demonstrated that water molecules can exist in both solid and liquid states at the same time when confined to nanoscale spaces. This premelting state reveals a hierarchical three-layered structure with unique properties that could revolutionize energy storage and materials development.
In a groundbreaking discovery that challenges our fundamental understanding of water’s physical states, scientists at Tokyo University of Science have confirmed that water can simultaneously behave as both a solid and liquid when confined to extremely tight spaces. This premelting state represents what researchers describe as a novel phase of water, where frozen and mobile water molecules coexist in ways previously thought impossible at the macroscopic scale we experience daily.
The Science Behind Water’s Dual Nature