Discovery of a new state of water: both solid and liquid

Water is one of the most familiar substances on Earth, but it still holds many mysteries. Recently, Japanese scientists discovered a new state of water: both solid and liquid.

Japanese scientists discover new state of water - Illustration: eurofins

According to the science page ScienceDaily on September 22, Japanese scientists have just recorded a special phase of water called "pre-molten state", in which molecules stand still like a solid but still rotate rapidly like a liquid.

The results of this research were conducted by Professor Makoto Tadokoro's group (Tokyo University of Science), published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on August 27, 2025.

According to the authors, this state appears when water is "trapped" in an extremely small space. Specifically, crystals with nanochannels about 1.6 nanometers in diameter are loaded with heavy water (D ₂ O).

The team then used solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to directly observe the structure and dynamics of the "confined" water.

The results showed that water in the nanochannels did not freeze and melt in the usual way.

Instead, before the ice completely melts, an intermediate phase appears: layers of frozen water alternating with layers of slowly moving water molecules, creating a pre-molten state.

The NMR data also show that the molecules maintain fairly stable positions as in solids but rotate at a rapid rate similar to that of liquids.

“This state is a melting of partially hydrogen-bonded water molecules that occurs before the frozen ice structure begins to melt. There, layers of frozen H ₂ O and slow-moving H ₂ O coexist,” explains Professor Makoto Tadokoro, creating a state that is both solid and liquid.

This discovery helps to better explain the "behavior" of water when confined in extremely small spaces, which is important for biological processes (such as how water and ions move across cell membranes), and for nanotechnology, opening up directions for practical applications.

Regarding applications, Professor Tadokoro said that controlling the ice structure could pave the way for new materials such as artificial gas hydrate crystals to store gases such as hydrogen and methane more safely and cheaply.

This discovery once again shows that even a familiar and common substance like water still has basic secrets waiting for humans to decode.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phat-hien-trang-thai-moi-cua-nuoc-vua-ran-vua-long-20250923100648274.htm