Computer Modeling Study of the Effect of Hydration on the Stability of a Silica Nanotube

Computer modeling techniques, which were employed to investigate the effect of water on the reactivity and stability of a SiO 2 nanotube, show that the side of the nanotube is relatively resistant to dissociative chemisorption and silicon dissolution but that the end of the nanotube is highly reactive toward water and amenable to dissolution. This finding is important for modern applications of nanostructures in fields ranging from catalysis to controlled drug release.