Clathrate hydrates are a crystalline phase of water made up of lattices of polyhedral cages defined by networks of fully hydrogen- bonded water molecules. The cages typically encapsulate nonpolar gas molecules such as methane and carbon dioxide. Clathrate hydrates occur naturally in large quantities and have a broad impact on issues such as energy production and climate change. There is great interest in methods to promote and inhibit the formation of clathrate hydrates, but a microscopic description of clathrate hydrate nucleation remains elusive.
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