Water and mixed OH/water adsorption at close packed metal surfaces

Recent experimental and theoretical results have challenged existing models for the wetting layer and the structure of multilayer water films at metal surfaces. The structures formed depend sensitively on the strength of the metal–water interaction, which determines both whether the film wets the surface, the ice registry to the metal and whether water partially dissociates to form mixed OH + H2O structures. The template formed by the wetting layer also determines the subsequent growth behaviour of the ice multilayer, potentially changing the surface from hydrophilic to hydrophobic depending on the structure adopted.