{
  "abstract": "The structure and electrostatics of liquids change dramatically under nanometric confinement, suggesting that solvent-solute interactions in such environments differ fundamentally from those in the bulk. Here, we combine nanoscale Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (nanoFTIR) with the vibrational Stark effect (VSE) to directly map the local electric field experienced by a molecular probe—the C=O stretching vibration of dimethylformamide (DMF)—within buried nanofluidic channels. To this end, we fabricated hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)-capped trenches with depths ranging from ~100 nm down to 2.6 nm and filled them with a 1:1 (v/v) aqueous DMF solution. Under the strongest confinement (2.6 nm), the DMF C=O stretching mode exhibits a +17 cm -1 blueshift, corresponding to a substantial change in the local solvation electric field strength of 0.39 V Å -1 . Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, combined with MD-derived IR spectra, reproduce the observed spectral shift and the associated change in local solvation electrostatics. The simulations further reveal the emergence of a quasi-phase-separated interfacial layer under finite-size confinement as the origin for the altered electrostatics. Together, these results establish nanoFTIR-based VSE spectroscopy as a direct and quantitative probe of nanosolvation electrostatics in nanoscale fluidic reactors.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Physics Department, Experimental Molecular Biophysics, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, Germany, 14195",
    "Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 23a, Germany, 14195",
    "Physics Department, Quantum nanoelectronics of 2D materials, Arnimallee 14, Germany, 14195",
    "Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, BRICS – Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology, Physical Chemistry of Biomolecular Systems, Rebenring 56, Braunschweig, Germany, 38106"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Leonard Pfister"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sviatoslav Kovalchuk"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Oguzhan Yüzel"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kirill Bolotin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Joachim Heberle"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jacek Kozuch",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2115-4899"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rrcmn6axdjn1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008628/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2rrcmn6axdjn1",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008628/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212136346",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008628/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-10",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rrcmn6axdjn1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:19Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008628",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008628/v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "openalex:3107|Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies",
      "subfield": "amo"
    }
  ],
  "title": "NanoFTIR spectroscopy probes solvation electrostatics in nanoconfinement",
  "title_text": "NanoFTIR spectroscopy probes solvation electrostatics in nanoconfinement",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:19Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2rrcmn6axdjn1",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}