Hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity is a macroscopic property of the surface, and its atomic scale understanding has not been established. We have studied adsorption of water molecules on the “hydrophobic” carbon nanotube surface at room temperature in water vapor. Based on optical measurements of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes suspended between micropillars in water vapor together with molecular dynamics simulations, we found that water molecules form a stable adsorption layer of 1–2 ML thickness on the nanotube surface and they show rapid adsorption and desorption transition at a critical pressure. This adsorption layer is created by lateral hydrogen bonding of water molecules confined in the weak van der Waals potential of the surface. In spite of hydrophobic hydration, carbon nanotubes exhibit hydrophobicity macroscopically.

• Received 16 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.157402