Why water sometimes pushes away tiny balls

Original Title

Exclusion Zone Phenomena in Water—A Critical Review of Experimental Findings and Theories

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Summary

When water touches certain surfaces like Nafion, tiny plastic balls get pushed away. Scientists disagree why this happens. Some say water changes structure, but tests show no special water structure. Instead, electric forces from surface charges and tiny air bubbles explain it better.

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Surprising Findings

Nafion makes water as acidic as 1.2M sulfuric acid

Most people think of water as neutral, but this surface creates acidity levels that would normally dissolve metals—yet it's not due to special water structure.

Practical Takeaways

When designing microfluidic systems, focus on surface charge and concentration gradients rather than 'structured water' theories

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Publication

Journal

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Year

2019

Authors

Daniel C. Elton, P. D. Spencer, J. Riches, E. D. Williams

Open Access
42 citations