Interfacial water thickness at inorganic nanoconstructs and biomolecules: Size matters

• Properties of the water hydration layer are investigated.
• New relation between extension of solid size and hydration layer established.
• Possible impact on rational design of nanosuspensions.

Water molecules in the proximity of solid nanostructures influence both the overall properties of liquid and the structure and functionality of solid particles. The study of water dynamics at solid–liquid interfaces has strong implications in energy, environmental and biomedical fields. This article focuses on the hydration layer properties in the proximity of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) and biomolecules (proteins, polypeptides and amino acids). Here we show a quantitative relation between the solid surface extension and the characteristic length of water nanolayer (δ), which is confined at solid–liquid interfaces. Specifically, the size dependence is attributed to the limited superposition of nonbonded interactions in case of small molecules. These results may facilitate the design of novel energy or biomedical colloidal nanosuspensions, and a more fundamental understanding of biomolecular processes influenced by nanoscale water dynamics.