Terahertz spectroscopy of the mineral/water interface

A terahertz spectroscopic study of the dynamics of monomolecular water layers absorbed on the surface of clay minerals is reported. The THz frequency absorption coefficient of the water monolayer is observed to be substantially lower than the value established for bulk water. The experimental results are in qualitative agreement with recently published calculations of the correlation function of the water electrical dipole moment which predict that the hydrogen bonds in monolayer clay hydrates form and break at a lower rate compared to hydrogen bonds in bulk water.