Equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase transitions studied by adiabatic calorimetry

An adiabatic calorimetry was used for some investigations of equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase transitions. For one of the substances studied (4,4′-di-n-heptyloxyazoxybenzene) it was possible to determine temperature dependence of an order parameter and number of clusters of high temperature phase in a region of a phase transition. For another substance (liquid 3,4 dimethylpiridine) an anomaly on the specific heat curves was interpreted as being responsible for a decay of molecules’ clusters. Non-equilibrium phase transitions were investigated for some liquid crystal substances. The process of transformation between metastable and stable phases was described quantitatively. The conclusions obtained concern the stability of metastable phases.     

Evidence for coupling and decoupling of parts of macromolecules by temperature‐modulated calorimetry

Equilibrium crystals of linear macromolecules have an extended‐chain macroconformation. They can melt at the equilibrium melting temperature, whereas crystallization needs considerable supercooling, even in the presence of crystal nuclei, making the overall phase transition irreversible. The same molecules with a metastable, chain‐folded macroconformation may have a large amount of specific reversibility, that is, a fraction of the same polymer molecule that melts irreversibly may also show decoupled, reversible melting. The overall metastable, nanophase structure of such semicrystalline polymers may thus support local equilibria. The tool for the quantitative analysis is quasi‐isothermal temperature‐modulated calorimetry that can separate reversible from irreversible processes. A major review of the study of crystals of more than 20 polymers has been published. On the basis of this extensive body of information, a first discussion of decoupling of parts of macromolecules is attempted and linked to previous studies of phase equilibria. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1275–1288, 2004     

Modulated differential scanning calorimetry in the glass transition region

Temperature-modulated calorimetry (TMC) allows the experimental evaluation of the kinetic parameters of the glass transition from quasi-isothermal experiments. In this paper, model calculations based on experimental data are presented for the total and reversing apparent heat capacities on heating and cooling through the glass transition region as a function of heating rate and modulation frequency for the modulated differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC). Amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is used as the example polymer and a simple first-order kinetics is fitted to the data. The total heat flow carries the hysteresis information (enthalpy relaxation, thermal history) and indications of changes in modulation frequency due to the glass transition. The reversing heat flow permits the assessment of the first and higher harmonics of the apparent heat capacities. The computations are carried out by numerical integrations with up to 5000 steps. Comparisons of the calculations with experiments are possible. As one moves further from equilibrium, i.e. the liquid state, cooperative kinetics must be used to match model and experiment.On leave from Toray Industries, Inc., Otsu, Shiga 520, Japan.This work was supported by the Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation, Polymers Program, Grant # DMR 90-00520 and the Division of Materials Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U. S. Department of Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp. for the U. S. Department of Energy, under contract number DE-AC05-96OR22464. Support for instrumentation came from TA Instruments, Inc. Research support was also given by ICI Paints, and Toray Industries, Inc.     

Determination of cell asymmetry in temperature-modulated DSC

The quality of measurement of heat capacity by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is based on the symmetry of the twin calorimeters. This symmetry is of particular importance for the temperature-modulated DSC (TMDSC) since positive and negative deviations from symmetry cannot be distinguished in the most popular analysis methods. Three different DSC instruments capable of modulation have been calibrated for asymmetry using standard non-modulated measurements and a simple method is described that avoids potentially large errors when using the reversing heat capacity as the measured quantity. It consists of overcompensating the temperature-dependent asymmetry by increasing the mass of the sample pan.On leave from Toray Industries, Inc., Otsu, Shiga 520, JapanOn leave from Toray Research Center, Inc., Otsu, Shiga 520, JapanThis work was supported by the Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation, Polymers Program, Grant # DMR 90-00520 and the Division of Materials Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U. S. Department of Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp. for the U. S. Department of Energy, under contract number DE-AC0S-96OR22464. Support for instrumentation came from TA Instruments, Inc. and Mettler-Toledo, Research support was also given by ICI Painls, and Toray Industries, Inc.     

Crystallization and melting of poly(oxyethylene) analyzed by temperature-modulated calorimetry

Temperature-modulated calorimetry, TMC, is used to evaluate the temperature region of metastability between crystallization and melting. While crystals like indium can be made to melt practically reversibly during a TMC cycle of low amplitude so that sufficient crystal nuclei remain unmelted, linear macromolecules cannot, because of their need to undergo molecular nucleation. Modulation amplitudes varying from ±0.2 to ±3.0 K are used to assess the temperature gap between the slow crystallization region and the melting of metastable crystals of poly(oxyethylene) (PEO) of molar mass 1500 Da. This low molar mass PEO serves as a model compound with a metastable gap of melting/crystallization that can be bridged by TMC with a large modulation amplitude. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

1 This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 1877–1886, 1997     

Successive phase transitions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-methylbenzyl alcohol crystal studied by X-ray and adiabatic calorimetry

Summary Crystal structures of the room-temperature (RT) and low-temperature (LT) phases of p-methylbenzyl alcohol were reexamined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method while paying special attention to detect structural disorder in the RT phase involved in successive structural phase transitions at 179 and 210 K. In the RT phase at 250 K, positional disorder of oxygen atoms was detected in contrast to the previous structure report. The structure of the LT phase coincided to the previous one. Heat capacities were measured by adiabatic calorimetry below 350 K, which covers the structural phase transitions and fusion at 331.87 K. The structural phase transitions were of first-order and required long time for completion. The combined magnitude of entropies of transition was ca. 5 J K^-1 mol^-1, a part of which can be ascribed to the positional disorder observed in the structure analysis. Standard thermodynamic functions are tabulated below 350 K.     

Stability,structural properties,and dissociation pathways of silylidyne‐amines RSiN and silylidyne‐phosphanes RSiP (R = F,Cl)

Stability, structural properties, and dissociation pathways of silylidyne‐amines FSiN, ClSiN, their isomers, and silylidyne‐phosphanes FSiP and ClSiP have been studied in detail using ab initio MP2, CCSD, and CCSD(T) and density functional B3LYP methods. After dissociation of FSiN, ClSiN, FSiP, and ClSiP, the fragmented atoms have been considered to be either in their ground state or in their metastable state in various dissociation channels. The dissociation energy for various dissociation pathways has been compared and interesting results have been obtained for the dissociation channels where the fragmented atoms are in their metastable states. The structure properties of these molecules agree well with the theoretical results wherever available. The NBO atomic charges of these molecules have been analyzed. The isomerization energy has been compared with existing theoretical data. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

Reversibility of the low‐temperature transitions of polytetrafluoroethylene as revealed by temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry

Temperature‐modulated differential scanning calorimetry reveals distinct differences in the kinetics of the low‐temperature phase transitions of polytetrafluoroethylene. The triclinic to trigonal transition at 292 K is partially reversible as long it is not complete. As soon as the total sample is converted, supercooling is required to nucleate the reversal of the helical untwisting involved in the transition. The trigonal phase can be annealed in the early stages after transformation with a relaxtion time of about 5 minutes. The dependence of the reversing heat capacity on the modulation amplitude, after a metastable equilibrium has been reached, is explained by a non‐linear, time‐independent increase of the heat‐flow rate, perhaps caused by an increased true heat capacity. The order‐disorder‐transition at 303 K from the trigonal to a hexagonal condis phase is completely reversible and time‐independent. It extends to temperatures as low as the transition at 292 K or even lower. Qualitatively, the thermal history and crystallization conditions of polytetrafluoroethylene do not affect the transition kinetics, that is, melt‐crystallized film and as‐polymerized powders show similar transition behaviors, despite largely different crystallinities. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 750–756, 2001     

Metastable States of small-molecule solutions

Metastable states such as gels and glasses that are commonly seen in nanoparticle suspensions have found application in a wide range of products including toothpaste, hand cream, paints, and car tires. The equilibrium and metastable state behavior of nanoparticle suspensions are often described by simple fluid models where particles are treated as having hard cores and interacting with short-range attractions. Here we explore similar models to describe the presence of metastable states of small-molecule solutions. We have recently shown that the equilibrium solubilities of small hydrogen-bonding molecules and nanoparticles fall onto a corresponding-states solubility curve suggesting that with similar average strengths of attraction these molecules have similar solubilities. This observation implies that metastable states in small-molecule solutions may be found under conditions similar to those where metastable states are observed in nanoparticle and colloidal suspensions. Here we seek confirmation of this concept by exploring the existence of metastable states in solutions of small molecules.     

Thermodynamics of Micellization from Heat‐Capacity Measurements

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the most important technique for studying the thermodynamics of structural transitions of biological macromolecules, is seldom used in quantitative thermodynamic studies of surfactant micellization/demicellization. The reason for this could be ascribed to an insufficient understanding of the temperature dependence of the heat capacity of surfactant solutions (DSC data) in terms of thermodynamics, which leads to problems with the design of experiments and interpretation of the output signals. We address these issues by careful design of DSC experiments performed with solutions of ionic and nonionic surfactants at various surfactant concentrations, and individual and global mass‐action model analysis of the obtained DSC data. Our approach leads to reliable thermodynamic parameters of micellization for all types of surfactants, comparable with those obtained by using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). In summary, we demonstrate that DSC can be successfully used as an independent method to obtain temperature‐dependent thermodynamic parameters for micellization.     

Entanglement of angular momenta of atoms and molecules

In this article, we investigate the entanglement degrees of angular momenta of atoms and molecules. We demonstrate theoretically and numerically the guidelines, how to prepare maximally entangled states and how the entanglement of the angular momenta changes by changing the quantum numbers of atoms and molecules. We show that the entanglement degree reduces to the Clebsch–Gordan coefficients frequently encountered in angular momentum theory. The maximally entangled states found in this manner are useful for quantum computers and quantum information science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

The thermal properties of complex, nanophase-separated macromolecules as revealed by temperature-modulated calorimetry

Linear, flexible macromolecules are long recognized as phase structures limited to micrometer and nanometer dimensions with covalent bonds crossing the interfaces. This special, usually non-equilibrium structure leads to unique properties and a multitude of changes for different thermal and mechanical histories. Analyses that enable the study of these properties are temperature-modulated calorimetry and related techniques which allow the separation of equilibrium and non-equilibrium responses. Research on these topics is reviewed and combined to a model for the nanophases. The new approach to the complex nanophase systems yields a better understanding of the relationship between structure and thermodynamic properties. Special emphasis is placed on the size and surface effects on the glass and melting transitions, the development of rigid-amorphous phases, and the reversible melting within the globally metastable structure.     

When is H2O not water?

We have combined a computational search strategy with first-principles density-functional-theory calculations to identify metastable phases of H(2)O under pressure. The most stable structures consist of water molecules, while the most energetic metastable phases consist of oxygen and hydrogen molecules. In between lie many other metastable phases, consisting of various combinations of a few small molecules. It may be possible to synthesize some of these metastable phases, and we use our results to understand the nature of the crystalline metastable phase of H(2)O recently synthesized by Mao et al. [Science 314, 636 (2006)].     

Room-temperature synthesis, hydrothermal recrystallization, and properties of metastable stoichiometric FeSe

Room-temperature precipitation from aqueous solutions yields the hitherto unknown metastable stoichiometric iron selenide (ms-FeSe) with tetragonal anti-PbO type structure. Samples with improved crystallinity are obtained by diffusion-controlled precipitation or hydrothermal recrystallization. The relations of ms-FeSe to superconducting β-FeSe(1-x) and other neighbor phases of the iron-selenium system are established by high-temperature X-ray diffraction, DSC/TG/MS (differential scanning calorimetry/thermogravimetry/mass spectroscopy), (57)Fe M?ssbauer spectroscopy, magnetization measurements, and transmission electron microscopy. Above 300 °C, ms-FeSe decomposes irreversibly to β-FeSe(1-x) and Fe(7)Se(8). The structural parameters of ms-FeSe (P4/nmm, a = 377.90(1) pm, c = 551.11(3) pm, Z = 2), obtained by Rietveld refinement, differ significantly from literature data for β-FeSe(1-x). The M?ssbauer spectrum rules out interstitial iron atoms or additional phases. Magnetization data suggest canted antiferromagnetism below T(N) = 50 K. Stoichiometric non-superconducting ms-FeSe can be regarded as the true "parent" compound for the "11" iron-chalcogenide superconductors and may serve as starting point for new chemical modifications.     

Characterization of the stable and metastable poly(ethylene oxide)–urea complexes in electrospun fibers

Solution electrospinning was used for the first time to prepare nanofibers of the stable (α) and metastable (β) complexes between poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and urea. Both types of fibers were highly crystalline and presented a large level of molecular orientation. Detailed characterization of the ill‐studied β complex was performed using wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results reveal that it possesses a 3:2 PEO:urea stoichiometry and suggest that it belongs to the orthorhombic system with a = 1.907 nm, b = 0.862 nm, and c = 0.773 nm. The PEO chains are oriented along the fiber axis and present a conformation significantly affected by strong hydrogen bonding with urea when compared with the pure polymer and the stable complex. A layered structure model is suggested for the metastable complex, in which the urea molecules would be arranged into a ribbon‐like structure intercalated between two PEO layers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1903–1913, 2008     

Modification in structure, phase transition, and magnetic property of metallic gallium driven by atom-molecule interactions

The present work supports a novel paradigm in which the surface structure and stacking behavior of metallic gallium (Ga) were significantly influenced by the preparation process in the presence of organic small molecules (ethanol, acetone, dichloromethane, and diethyl ether). The extent of the effect strongly depends on the polarity of the molecules. Especially, a series of new atom-molecule aggregates consisting of metallic Ga and macrocyclic hosts (cyclodextrins, CDs) were prepared and characterized by various techniques. A comprehensive comparative analysis between free metallic Ga and the Ga samples obtained provides important and at present rare information on the modification in structure, phase transition, and magnetic property of Ga driven by atom-molecule interactions. First, there is a notable difference in microstructure and electronic structure between the different types of Ga samples. Second, differential scanning calorimetry analysis gives us a complete picture (such as the occurrence of a series of metastable phases of Ga in the presence of CDs) that has allowed us to consider that Ga atoms were protected by the shielding effect provided by the cavities of CDs. Third, the metallic Ga distributed in the aggregates exhibits very interesting magnetic property compared to free metallic Ga, such as the uniform zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetization processes, the enhanced responses in magnetization to temperature and applied field, and the fundamental change in shape of magnetic hysteresis loops. These significant changes in structural transformation and physical property of Ga provide a novel insight into the understanding of atom-molecule interactions between metallic atoms and organic molecules.     

Energy levels of two interacting particles in an anharmonic potential

Energy levels of two interacting mass points in an anharmonic model potential (Morse type) have been studied. Analytic expression for the energy levels has been worked out. The model potential is shown to support bound states under certain conditions. The number of such states has been found to depend on the parameters of the potential. The potential is expected to be more realistic, particularly in presence of environments for diatomic molecules and artificial atoms. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Excited atoms and molecules in physicochemical processes and diagnostics of nonequilibrium plasma

The role of metastable excited atoms and molecules in the mechanisms of physicochemical processes and diagnostics of quasi-equilibrium and nonequilibrium atomic and molecular electric-discharge plasmas is analyzed. The consideration is focused on the mechanism of excitation of electronic and vibronic states, as emission from these levels form optical spectra used for plasma diagnostics. The contribution of metastable excited species to other physicochemical processes: dissociation, chemical reactions involving atoms and molecules, ionization, ion-electron recombination, and ion conversion, is briefly discussed. It is shown that the participation of metastable species should be taken into account before application of spectral methods of plasma diagnostics, especially, at elevated (atmospheric and higher) pressures.     

13C labelling study of the interconversion of ethylbenzene, 7-methylcycloheptatriene and p-xylene ions

The isomerization of the molecular ions of ethylbenzene, 7-methylcycloheptatriene and p-xylene by skeletal rearrangement prior to the formation of [C₇H₇]⁺ ions has been investigated by using ¹³C labelled compounds. The results obtained for ions generated by 70 eV and 12 eV electron impact, and fragmenting in the ion source, the 1st field free region and the 2nd field free region, respectively, are compared with those obtained from D labelled derivatives. It is shown that at long reaction times metastable p-xylene ions lose a methyl radical after scrambling of all C atoms and H atoms, while the unstable molecular ions in the ion source react by specific loss of one of the methyl substituents. Both unstable and metastable ethylbenzene ions fragment by two competing mechanisms, one corresponding to specific loss of the terminal methyl group, and the other involving scrambling of all C and H atoms. These results are discussed by use of a dynamic model developed for the mutual interconversion and fragmentation of the molecular ions of ethylbenzene, methylcyclo-heptatriene and p-xylene. The experimental results can be explained by an equilibrium between metastable methylcycloheptatriene ions and p-xylene ions with sufficient energy for skeletal rearrangement, while about 40% of the metastable ethylbenzene ions fragment after rearrangement to methylcycloheptatriene ions and about 60% of the ethylbenzene ions rearrange further to xylene ions before fragmentation. Metastable methylcycloheptatriene ions, mainly lose a methyl group without a skeletal rearrangement, however, because the rearranged ions are kinetically trapped as ‘stable’ xylene ions or ethylbenzene ions.