ater is behind creating certain biofuels, sequestering carbon, and forming corrosive rust. If and how water (H2O) breaks when it hits a metal oxide surface, such as a catalyst or a pipe, matters. In a pioneering study, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), led by Dr. Zdenek Dohnálek and Dr. Roger Rousseau, definitively measured the stability of adsorbed water compared to the hydroxyl (-OH) fragments. They showed that there is a slight preference to keep water molecules intact. The research team showed that when they do break, it is because surface forces align water molecules in a specific way, long before they hit the surface and dissociate.