UMaine Professor Unlocks the Secrets of Water in Confined Spaces
Contact: Jayendran Rasaiah (207) 581-1179; David Munson (207) 581-3777
ORONO, Maine – Life itself depends on the simple combination of two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen, yet there is still so much that we do not understand about the amazing compound known as water. By examining the behavior of water molecules as they move through tiny openings, a team of UMaine researchers hopes to gain insights that may help us better understand everything from cloud formation to the behavior of proteins.
UMaine professor Jayendran C. Rasaiah will continue his groundbreaking research of the complex and often surprising behavior of water molecules as they move through the tiniest of spaces thanks to a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Using advanced computer simulations made possible by the UMaine Supercomputer Center, Rasaiah and his students will pursue multiple projects that they hope will not only explain the physical properties of water in tiny spaces, but provide insight into how the movement of water in such spaces is controlled by chemical modification or electric fields.
UMaine graduate students Hao Yin and Aparna Waghe and a postdoctoral fellow will utilize a portion of the NSF grant to continue their work with Rasaiah that examines the structure and effects of temperature on water in carbon nanotubes and cavities.