The nature of water interactions and the molecular signatures of hydrophilicity

Abstract

The peculiar structuring of liquid water stems from a fine-tuned molecular principle embodying the two different interaction demands of the water molecule: The formation of hydrogen bonds or the compensation for coordination defects. Here we shall show that the same underlying molecular mechanism is also at play in order to establish favorable interactions with other systems. In this regard, the emergence of two limiting behaviors for hydrophilicity will help both to unravel its molecular underpinnings and to establish absolute values for such property.