Experimental study of physicochemicalchanges in water by iterative contact with hydrophilic polymers: A comparison betweenCellulose and Nafion

Experimental study of physicochemicalchanges in water by iterative contact with hydrophilic polymers: A comparison betweenCellulose and Nafion

Water kept in contact with cellulose has not been a “juicy” research topic until now. This is surprising because cellulose is a major component of the cell walls in green plants. It is also a common material used in many artificial systems, e.g., filters. In this work, we review some of our experimental results and show that iteratively bringing cellulose (cotton wool) in contact with pure water endows the water with some unforeseen properties. For example, the liquid left over after removing the cellulose is optically active, i.e., mirror symmetry breaking was triggered during temporary contact of bulk water with a natural polymer. (Here and in the following, by “mirror” symmetry we actually mean “chiral” symmetry). Moreover, this leftover liquid fluoresces after irradiation with ultraviolet light. These properties are neither attributable to impurities released by the inert polymer nor to organic- or bio-contaminants, as our state-of-the-art analytical techniques show.

 

Elia V., Oliva R., Napoli E., Germano R., Pinto G., Lista L,  Niccoli M., Toso D., Vitiello G., Trifuoggi M., Giarra A., Yinnon T. A., (2018) Experimental study of physicochemicalchanges in water by iterative contact with hydrophilic polymers: A comparison betweenCellulose and Nafion. Molliq, doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2018.07.045