Abstract
Exclusion zone (EZ) formation at water-membrane interfaces was studied via bright- and dark-field microscopy. Various aqueous colloids including suspensions of charged microspheres, silicon dioxide particles, and raw whole milk were studied with Nafion® hydrophilic membranes. Interfacial formations observed included EZs and more complex patterns including striations, double layers, banding, dendritic aggregates of particles, and double-stranded structures resembling Birkeland current filaments in cold plasmas. A complex three-dimensional dynamic structure and continuous flow patterns persist in and around EZs, maintaining movement of the colloidal particles even after EZs are fully formed, for which a schematic is proposed. Since radiant energy is critical for EZ formation, we hypothesize that these interfacial phenomena are non-equilibrium dissipative structures that self-organize and self-maintain due to ongoing dynamic processes that may involve hydrodynamic interactions. Another experimental approach undertaken involved the construction of a microscope flow cell to measure the kinetics of EZ formation using sequential microphotography analyzed with macro-programmed ImageJ software to investigate effects of different types of conditioned water. No significant difference was found between spring water and the same water treated by a magnetic vortexer. A significant difference was found for municipal tap water compared to electrolyzed alkaline tap water from the same source.
Highlights
Intracellular water, so vital to the living state, is mainly interfacial water near membranes and large macromolecules
Key observations discussed in detail include the following: (1) A range of complex dynamic patterns of organization of colloid particles near the membrane interface were observed, with pattern formations extending up to 3 mm from the membrane
(2) A three-dimensional dynamic structure and persistent flow pattern to the Exclusion zone (EZ) near the membrane interface was observed in photographs taken at sequential focal depths
Summary
Intracellular water, so vital to the living state, is mainly interfacial water near membranes and large macromolecules. Water adjacent to a charged hydrophilic membrane spontaneously self-organizes in the presence of ambient light to form an “exclusion zone” (EZ), a region that excludes colloidal particles and solutes and extends up to hundreds of microns from the membrane, much larger than anticipated by conventional physical theory [2,3,4]. The EZ manifests as a clear zone in an aqueous colloid, for example, of charged polystyrene microspheres that move away from the membrane. We used a variety of charged colloidal particles, including positively and negative charged polystyrene microspheres, silica particles, as well as the complex natural colloid, milk, comprised of colloidal proteins and fat, in order to explore the EZ phenomena broadly. We discovered more complex dynamical patterns that spontaneously self-organize near the membrane interface.
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