Abstract The structure and growth of water films on surfaces is reviewed, starting from single molecules to two-dimensional wetting layers, and liquid interfaces. This progression follows the increase in temperature and vapor pressure from a few degrees Kelvin in ultra-high vacuum, where Scanning Tunneling and Atomic Force Microscopies (STM and AFM) provide crystallographic information at the molecular level, to ambient conditions where surface sensitive spectroscopic techniques provide electronic structure information. We show how single molecules bind to metal and non-metal surfaces, their diffusion and aggregation. We examine how water molecules can be manipulated by the STM tip via excitation of vibrational and electronic modes, which trigger molecular diffusion and dissociation. We review also the adsorption and structure of water on non-metal substrates including mica, alkali halides, and others under ambient humid conditions. We finally discuss recent progress in the exploration of the molecular level structure of solid-liquid interfaces, which impact our fundamental understanding of corrosion and electrochemical processes.

中文翻译：

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表面和界面上的水：从分子到冰和大量液体

摘要 回顾了表面水膜的结构和生长，从单分子到二维润湿层，再到液体界面。这种进展是在超高真空中温度和蒸汽压从几开尔文增加之后发生的，在这种情况下，扫描隧道和原子力显微镜（STM 和 AFM）提供分子水平的晶体学信息，到表面敏感光谱技术提供的环境条件电子结构信息。我们展示了单个分子如何与金属和非金属表面结合，以及它们的扩散和聚集。我们研究了 STM 尖端如何通过激发振动和电子模式来操纵水分子，从而触发分子扩散和解离。我们还回顾了水在非金属基材（包括云母、碱金属卤化物和其他环境潮湿条件下）上的吸附和结构。我们最后讨论了固液界面分子水平结构探索的最新进展，这影响了我们对腐蚀和电化学过程的基本理解。