Fig. 2: Material Characterization of molecular clustering and simulation analysis of molecular clusters-enhanced water binding.
From: Molecular clustering unlocks high-performance hydrovoltaics across temperatures from −35 °C to 80 °C
a SAXS spectra of pure polyacrylamide/sodium vinyl sulfonate (PAAM/SV) hydrogel with sequential addition of sodium sulfamate (SS), sodium glycolate (SG), glycolic acid (GA), and GA-only molecules. b SAXS 2D mapping of SS-SG and SS-SG-GA added hydrogels. c Electrostatic potential maps compare SS and molecular clustering systems, specifically focusing on charge distributions on oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) atoms. d Comparison of hydration enthalpies (ΔHHydration) between SS and molecular clustering systems, highlighting the enhanced water binding capability of the latter. e Radial distribution functions (g(r)) highlight the increased water binding around amino groups in molecular clustering systems compared to SS-only systems. f MD simulation snapshots showing the distribution of water molecules around amino groups in SS-only systems and molecular clustering systems, emphasizing the water stabilization effects of molecular clustering. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.
