Water's anomalous properties arise from its ability to form up to four hydrogen bonds, leading to behaviors that deviate from those of typical liquids. These include a maximum density at 4 °C, decreased viscosity under pressure, and unusually high surface tension. Without these unusual properties for water life could not have evolved from the oceans. Finding the origin of these anomalous properties is one of the major scientific questions of our time connecting a wide range of scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, and geoscience.
The conference will cover a range of topics essential to advancing this field, including:
- The molecular structure and hydrogen bonding dynamics of water.
- Thermodynamic response functions and their connection to water’s anomalous properties.
- The behavior of water under extreme conditions, such as high pressure and supercooling.
- Advances in experimental techniques for studying metastable water.
- Theoretical and computational models predicting liquid-liquid phase transitions.
- Implications of water anomalies in biological systems, aqueous solutions, environmental science, and materials.
By bringing together experimentalists and theorists, this conference will foster interdisciplinary collaborations aimed at resolving outstanding questions about water’s behavior.