In a study published last month in Science Advances, the group directly observed water films growing on a mineral surface for the first time. Using infrared nanospectroscopy and amplitude-modulated atomic force microscopy to achieve high-resolution imaging, they discovered that water droplets preferentially form at defects near the edge of a face of the mineral surface. Uncovering the relationship between water film growth and mineral surface topology is important for advancing research in biogeochemical processes and geoengineering. The study was led by first author Sibel Ebru Yalcin, Ph.D., a Research Scientist in MB&B and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute (MSI). Congratulations to the Malvankar Lab!
https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/30/eaaz9708
https://westcampus.yale.edu/news/scientists-tap-novel-technologies-solve-mystery-how-water-grows
By Melanie Reschke