Can covalent bonds in water break by pushing them on a solid?

AI Thread Summary
Water molecules exhibit ordered behavior in the presence of a static electric field, influenced by the arrangement of their hydrogen bonds. When an electric field is applied, water molecules can exert pressure on solid surfaces, such as noble metals. This pressure may facilitate interactions between water's oxygen atoms and the atomic structure of the solid, potentially leading to oxidation reactions. The relationship between pressure and Gibbs Free Energy suggests that increased pressure can mimic the effects of temperature on reaction energetics, indicating that sufficient pressure could indeed induce oxidation. The distinction between covalent and hydrogen bonds in water is crucial; while O-H bonds in isolated water molecules are primarily covalent, the interactions in solution involve hydrogen bonding, complicating the dynamics further.
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How do water molecules behave in the presence of a static electric field?

If I apply an electric field on water molecules, would they apply pressure to a solid surface (let's say a noble metal), and if so, what would happen? Could the oxygen wedge in between the atomic gaps on the surface of the solid? If the pressure is large enough, could the covalent bonds break?
 
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material said:
How do water molecules behave in the presence of a static electric field?

They get ordered. Google for double layer.
 
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the H-O-H bonds are hydrogen bonds, not covalent, but that doesn't answer your question.

from the Gibbs Free Energy perspective, pressure can have effect like temperature does, so there might be a critical pressure associated with an energy of reaction. I.e. having the oxygen react with the solid surface. What you're asking is if pressure can induce an oxidation reaction.
Yes, Probably.
 
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Hyo X said:
the H-O-H bonds are hydrogen bonds, not covalent

That's not true. In a single, separated water molecule O-H bond is a mostly covalent one (with - as it is always the case - some ionic character). In solution things get more complicated, as water molecules interact by hydrogen bonds and hydrogen atoms are moving between molecules, but it still doesn't make all O-H bonds hydrogen bonds.
 
What i am asking presented in a picture

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/239/roov.jpg
 
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