Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.112, No.13, 3927-3930, 2008
Water diffusion in nanoporous glass: An NMR study at different hydration levels
By pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, we investigated the translational diffusion of water confined in the 200 angstrom diameter pores of a sol-gel silica glass. The experiments, performed as a function of the hydration level, showed an enhancement of the self-diffusion coefficient when the water content corresponds to one or fewer monolayers. An explanation for this occurrence has been given in terms of a two-phase process involving a fast molecular exchange between the liquid and the vapor phase. Moreover, in partially filled pores, the surface water diffusion coefficient was measured, and was 4 times lower than the diffusion of liquid confined water in saturated spaces.