Division of Materials Applications, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 0LW Gt. Britain
Abstract:
With decreasing sample size, a metastable form of p-nitrotoluene persists for increasing periods; for weights of 1 mg or less this form effectively supersedes the stable structure. It is unusual in having a lower enthalpy than the latter but this is offset by a lower melting point and the free energy is indeed greater than that of the stable form.