Almost Ideal 1D Water Diffusion in Imogolite Nanotubes Evidenced by NMR Relaxometry

The longitudinal proton relaxation rates R1 of water diffusing inside synthetic aluminium silicate imogolite nanotubes are measured by fast field‐cycling NMR for frequencies between 0.02 and 35 MHz at 25, 37 and 50 °C. We give analytical expressions of the dominant intermolecular dipolar spin–spin contribution to R1 and to the transverse relaxation rate R2. A remarkable variation of R1 by more than two orders of magnitude is observed and shown to be close to the theoretical law, inversely proportional to the square root of the resonance frequency, which is characteristic of perfect molecular 1D diffusion. The physics of diffusion is discussed. Down the tube: The large variation of the relaxation rate R1=1/T1 of water protons with frequency is characteristic of one‐dimensional water diffusion (see picture).