A Quasi-One-Dimensional Model for a Chain of Water Molecules on the Nanometer Scale

• 作者: 万荣正 吴可非
• 来源期刊: 中国物理快报(英文版)
• 学科: 物理学
• 关键词: 一维模型 水分子 分子链 纳米级 相互作用能 解析表达式 跨膜蛋白 碳纳米管
• 年，卷（期）: 2010,（3）
• 页码范围: 192-195
• 页数: 4页
• 分类号: O561.3 TQ211.211
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Water confined into the interior channels of narrow carbon nanotubes or transmembrane proteins can form collectively oriented molecular chains held together by tight hydrogen bonds. We develop a quasi-one-dimensional model for a chain of water molecules which interact with each other via the Coulomb and power-like repulsive interactions. We explore the equilibrium property of the water chain and derive an exact analytical expression for the total interaction energy of the water chain, denoted by W(0)int. It is found that W(0)int is minimal when the distance between the two neighboring water molecules in a hydrogen-bonded chain is equal to 0.265 nm. The model is expected to be useful for studying analytically the properties of single-file water molecules inside water channels, such as the concerted motion of water molecules.