科學家發現水分子其實有兩種類型大綱

Scientists have isolated the two different forms of Water molecule for the first time.
近日，科學家們首次成功分離出兩種不同形式的水分子。

Water molecules were known to exist as two distinct "isomers", or types, based on their slightly different properties at the atomic level.
基於原子水平上略微不同的性質，已知的水分子可以以兩種不同的“異構體”類型存在。

By separating out the two isomers, researchers were able to show that they behave differently in the way that they undergo chemical reactions.
通過分離出兩種異構體，研究人員能夠證明它們在進行化學反應時可以表現出不同的行爲。

In basic terms, water molecules consist of a single oxygen atom bonded to a pair of hydrogen atoms.
簡言之，水分子是由兩個氫原子和一個氧原子鍵合而成的。

However, they can be further subdivided based on a property of the nuclei at the hearts of the hydrogen atoms - their "spin".
但是，它們可以根據氫原子核心“自旋”的特性進一步細分。

While they aren't spinning in the sense we would understand, this property of hydrogen nuclei does affect the rotation of the water molecules themselves.
雖然這不是我們普通理解意義上的旋轉，但氫核的這種屬性確實會影響水分子本身的旋轉。

If the nuclear spins of the two hydrogen atoms in water are oriented in the same direction, it is called ortho-water. If they are arranged in different directions, it is known as para-water.
如果水分子中的兩個氫原子核自旋以相同的方向取向，則稱爲正水分子。如果他們異向自旋，則被稱爲負水分子。

Given that the isomers are very similar, it has been particularly challenging to separate them out. But co-author Prof Stefan Willitsch and his colleagues succeeded in doing it using electric fields.
鑑於異構體非常相似，所以將它們分開非常具有挑戰性，但Stefan Willitsch教授和他的同事成功地利用電場進行了水分子分離。

They were then able to investigate how the different forms of water reacted with another chemical.
隨後，他們就能夠研究不同形式的水分子與另一種化學品的反應情況。

They used ultracold diazenylium ions (a form of nitrogen) for this test. The researchers found that para-water reacted about 25% faster with the diazenylium than ortho-water.
他們使用氮離子（一種氮的形式）進行了這項測試。研究人員發現，與正水分子相比，負水分子化學反應速度提高了25％左右。

Because the rotation of H2O molecules is affected by the nuclear spin, different attractive forces act between the partners in this chemical reaction.
由於水分子的旋轉受到核自旋的影響，所以在這種化學反應中，不同的吸引力在相互反應之間起了作用。

Prof Willitsch said the research could help improve control over other kinds of chemical reaction: "The better one can control the states of the molecules involved in a chemical reaction, the better the underlying mechanisms and dynamics of a reaction can be investigated and understood."
Willitsch教授表示，這項研究可以幫助改善對其他類型化學反應的控制：“我們可以更好地控制化學反應中水分子的狀態，有利於更深入研究和理解反應的潛在機制和動力學。”