Origin of Ubiquitous Stripes at the Graphite–Water Interface
The investigation of solid-liquid interfaces is pivotal for understanding processes like wetting, corrosion, and mineral dissolution and growth. The graphite-water interface constitutes a prime example for studying the water structure at a seemingly hydrophobic surface. Surprisingly, in a large number of atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments, well-ordered stripes have been observed at the graphite-water interface. Although many groups have reported on the observation of stripes at this interface, fundamental properties and, in particular, the origin of the stripes are still under debate. Proposed origins include contamination, interplanar stacking of graphene layers, formation of methan…