2013
Volume 13, Number 1, pp. 9–11
Provisional theory of nanoscale water dielectrics
Ariel Fernández Stigliano1, 2
1 Instituto Argentino de Matemática “Alberto P. Calderón”, CONICET (National Research Council), Buenos Aires 1083, Argentina
2 Collegium Basilea, Institute for Advanced Study, CH 4053 Basel, Switzerland
The need for a nanoscale theory of water dielectrics arises in good measure from the imperative of physically characterizing biological interfaces. Biological water, with its partial confinement at nanoscale dimensions, defies the inherently continuous laws of electrostatics, or brings them to the limits of their applicability. Reconciling the nanoscale hydrogen-bond structure of water with the continuous dielectric equations constitutes a challenge when dealing with nanoscale confinement, where water is deprived of hydrogen-bonding opportunities. The provisional theory cursorily introduced in this work addresses this challenge, proposing a nanoscale descriptor of water’s dielectric structure. This attempt is unlikely to become the definitive theory. The latter will inevitably hinge on a discrete electrostatic model that mechanistically incorporates hydrogen-bond swapping between individual water molecules. Yet, the theory outlined in this work represents a provisional model hopefully inviting a paradigm shift, in much the same way as the Bohr model represented a transitional stage in the emergence and development of quantum mechanics.