We have discovered a novel mechanism by virtue of which ‘slippery’ to ‘sticky’ transition, an otherwise non-intuitive phenomenon, can be realized in hydrophobic nanochannels, simply by tweaking the surface and triggering thermally activated processes. We have demonstrated this remarkable phenomenon by bringing out hitherto unveiled interplay between ion inclusions in the water and the interfacial lattice configuration over molecular scales. This proposition may bear immense consequences toward fluidically functionalizing a hydrophobic interface without necessitating elaborate surface treatment techniques, bringing in far-ranging implications in diverse applications ranging from nature to energy.
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