The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Hydrophobic and hydrophilic atmospheric trace gases retard ice-front propagation versus pure water by weak but preferential adsorption, suppressing ice-like ordering at the water–ice interface.
- Why it matters: Atmospheric gases are often treated as passive, but their molecular control over ice growth and quasi-liquid-layer (QLL) structure is unclear.
- What they did: Molecular simulations tested multiple hydrophobic and hydrophilic gases, tracking how they adsorb at the water–ice interface and how they partition across adsorption regions after freezing.
- The result: After freezing, gases partition selectively across the ice–QLL–air landscape—hydrophobic gases show a three-region pattern while hydrophilic gases show two—accumulating near the QLL–air boundary and thinning the QLL by reducing premelting driving force.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.