  We report on the capillary rise of water in three-dimensional networks of
hydrophilic silica pores with 3.5nm and 5nm mean radii, respectively (porous
Vycor monoliths). We find classical square root of time Lucas-Washburn laws for
the imbibition dynamics over the entire capillary rise times of up to 16h
investigated. Provided we assume two preadsorbed strongly bound layers of water
molecules resting at the silica walls, which corresponds to a negative velocity
slip length of -0.5nm for water flow in silica nanopores, we can describe the
filling process by a retained fluidity and capillarity of water in the pore
center. This anticipated partitioning in two dynamic components reflects the
structural-thermodynamic partitioning in strongly silica bound water layers and
capillary condensed water in the pore center which is documented by sorption
isotherm measurements.
