Substantially Enhanced Electric Potential of Confined Water via Dynamic Nanocurved Interfaces

Substantially Enhanced Electric Potential of Confined Water via Dynamic Nanocurved Interfaces | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Substantially Enhanced Electric Potential of Confined Water via Dynamic Nanocurved Interfaces Xu Hou, Miao Wang, Yu Liu, Lejian Yu, Shisheng Zheng, Dan Tan, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7572288/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Current understanding of nanoconfined water relies predominantly on static, non-deformable geometries, leaving the role of dynamic interfacial curvature unexplored due to experimental and characterization challenges. Here we show that dynamically nanocurved interfaces amplify the electrochemical reactivity of confined water, generating a 390% increase in electrical potential over planar nanoconfinement. Through integrated time-resolved enhanced in-situ infrared spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we uncover a synergistic mechanism: 1) Nanocurvature-induced asymmetric charge distribution dynamically reorients water dipoles, and 2) Directional disruption of hydrogen-bond networks promotes sustained water ionization along flow paths. We term this phenomenon Curvature-driven Potential Enhancement (CPE). Leveraging CPE, we engineered an ultrasensitive, non-mechanical thin-film flow sensor capable of high-precision detection in pure water, while simultaneously enabling advanced water-energy harvesting and sensing applications. Our work establishes dynamic nanocurvature as a universal design principle for controlling confined-water reactivity, with transformative implications for nanofluidic sensors, energy harvesting, and beyond. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Electrochemistry Physical sciences/Chemistry/Surface chemistry Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.pdf Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7572288","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":526994914,"identity":"65ca37a4-a45e-4643-b4fd-63adb17aca51","order_by":0,"name":"Xu 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