The glass transition and the glassy state in isotropic and liquid crystalline polymers

PVT-measurements on atactic polystyrene shows that the Ehrenfest equations, which describe a thermodynamic transformation of the second order, are not applicable for the glass transition. The introduction of one internal ordering parameter ζ in addition to the conventional variables T and P, is sufficient to describe the behaviour in case of atactic PS in the isotropic glassy state. The usually observed way dependences in the glassy state can be explained by the concept of ordering parameters. In recent years liquid crystalline side chain polymers were developed. The liquid crystalline phases of these polymers can be supercooled and frozen-in like isotropic liquids. As the nematic or smectic liquid crystalline structure freezes-in, and can be conserved by this process, glasses with anisotropic properties are obtained. These glasses show e.g. a high optical birefringence. The glass transition of the liquid crystalline polymers can only be described by the assumption of at least two parameters ζ_i. Therefore the Ehrenfest equations are not applicable for the glass transition of isotropic as well as anisotropic glasses.     

Simple Rules for Complex Near-Glass-Transition Phenomena in Medium-Sized Schiff Bases

Glass-forming ability is one of the most desired properties of organic compounds dedicated to optoelectronic applications. Therefore, finding general structure–property relationships and other rules governing vitrification and related near-glass-transition phenomena is a burning issue for numerous compound families, such as Schiff bases. Hence, we employ differential scanning calorimetry, broadband dielectric spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and quantum density functional theory calculations to investigate near-glass-transition phenomena, as well as ambient- and high-pressure molecular dynamics for two structurally related Schiff bases belonging to the family of glycine imino esters. Firstly, the surprising great stability of the supercooled liquid phase is shown for these compounds, also under high-pressure conditions. Secondly, atypical self-organization via bifurcated hydrogen bonds into lasting centrosymmetric dimers is proven. Finally, by comparing the obtained results with the previous report, some general rules that govern ambient- and high-pressure molecular dynamics and near-glass transition phenomena are derived for the family of glycine imino esters. Particularly, we derive a mathematical formula to predict and tune their glass transition temperature (T_g) and its pressure coefficient (dT_g/dp). We also show that, surprisingly, despite the presence of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds, van der Waals and dipole–dipole interactions are the main forces governing molecular dynamics and dielectric properties of glycine imino esters.     

Mixed alkaline-earth effects on several mechanical and thermophysical properties of aluminate glasses and melts

Owing to heterogeneous nucleation at the melt-crucible interface, it is difficult to access the dynamic and physical properties of supercooled liquids of poor glass formers when using a conventional melting technique. To avoid the interface nucleation, we apply a containerless aerodynamic levitation laser-melting technique to measure the viscosity, density, and surface tension of a poor glass-forming system, ie, the mixed alkaline-earth aluminate melts. The temperature and composition (Ca/Sr) dependence of thermal-physical properties are investigated on both thermodynamically stable and metastable supercooled melts. In addition, the levitation laser-melting technique is used to quench the melts to glasses, and then the mixed alkaline-earth effects are investigated on Vickers micro-hardness and glass transition temperatures. By comparing the chosen silicate and aluminate series, we have identified weaker mixed alkaline-earth effects in aluminate series than those in silicate series, and this difference could be attributed to the different structural roles of alkaline-earth elements in two glass series.     

Mutual Information in Molecular and Macromolecular Systems

The relaxation properties of viscous liquids close to their glass transition (GT) have been widely characterised by the statistical tool of time correlation functions. However, the strong influence of ubiquitous non-linearities calls for new, alternative tools of analysis. In this respect, information theory-based observables and, more specifically, mutual information (MI) are gaining increasing interest. Here, we report on novel, deeper insight provided by MI-based analysis of molecular dynamics simulations of molecular and macromolecular glass-formers on two distinct aspects of transport and relaxation close to GT, namely dynamical heterogeneity (DH) and secondary Johari–Goldstein (JG) relaxation processes. In a model molecular liquid with significant DH, MI reveals two populations of particles organised in clusters having either filamentous or compact globular structures that exhibit different mobility and relaxation properties. In a model polymer melt, MI provides clearer evidence of JG secondary relaxation and sharper insight into its DH. It is found that both DH and MI between the orientation and the displacement of the bonds reach (local) maxima at the time scales of the primary and JG secondary relaxation. This suggests that, in (macro)molecular systems, the mechanistic explanation of both DH and relaxation must involve rotation/translation coupling.     

温度调制热分析技术对预吸热峰的研究

以快速的冷却速率冷却熔体获得的金属玻璃通常远离平衡状态。如果在适当温度经过合适时间退火后,在热流曲线上玻璃转变温度之前会产生明显的预吸热峰。使用常规差示扫描量热法(DSC)和温度调制差示扫描量热法(TMDSC)对Pd₄₀Ni₁₀Cu₃₀P₂₀和Au₄₉Ag_5.5Pd_2.3Cu_26.9Si_16.3两种金属玻璃进行研究。结果表明,预吸热峰从玻璃态到过冷液态是一个连续演变过程,当预吸热峰出现在玻璃转变温度之下时,预吸热峰向高温移动过程中对玻璃化转变过程没有影响。然而,当预吸热峰出现在玻璃化转变温度以上时,玻璃转变开始温度会随着预吸热峰值的增加而增加,因此金属玻璃的动力学稳定性得到了提高。实验结果对理解预吸热峰从玻璃态到过冷液态过程中的稳定变化具有重要意义。     

Charge transport and glassy dynamics in ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit unique features such as low melting points, low vapor pressures, wide liquidus temperature ranges, high thermal stability, high ionic conductivity, and wide electrochemical windows. As a result, they show promise for use in variety of applications: as reaction media, in batteries and supercapacitors, in solar and fuel cells, for electrochemical deposition of metals and semiconductors, for protein extraction and crystallization, and many others. Because of the ease with which they can be supercooled, ionic liquids offer new opportunities to investigate long-standing questions regarding the nature of the dynamic glass transition and its possible link to charge transport. Despite the significant steps achieved from experimental and theoretical studies, no generally accepted quantitative theory of dynamic glass transition to date has been capable of reproducing all the experimentally observed features. In this Account, we discuss recent studies of the interplay between charge transport and glassy dynamics in ionic liquids as investigated by a combination of several experimental techniques including broadband dielectric spectroscopy, pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance, dynamic mechanical spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Based on Einstein-Smoluchowski relations, we use dielectric spectra of ionic liquids to determine diffusion coefficients in quantitative agreement with independent pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance measurements, but spanning a broader range of more than 10 orders of magnitude. This approach provides a novel opportunity to determine the electrical mobility and effective number density of charge carriers as well as their types of thermal activation from the measured dc conductivity separately. We also unravel the origin of the remarkable universality of charge transport in different classes of glass-forming ionic liquids.     

The peculiarities of relaxation processes at heating of glasses in glass transition region according to the data of mechanical relaxation spectra (Review)

The results of study of mechanical losses by dynamic methods for silicate, borate, and chalcogenide glasses, metallic glass and glycerol at heating in the glass transition region were analyzed. Essential differences between the dynamic viscosity values η* calculated by means of the Maxwell equation based on the relaxation time at the maximum of losses (ωτ = 1) for labile states of glass, and the experimental values of η for the metastable liquid at the same temperature were revealed. The ratio η*/η was systematized in the framework of kinetic theory of glass transition and thermodynamics. An interpretation of the regularities was proposed based on the theory of dynamic properties of liquids. It was shown that different widths of spectra of relaxation times were the most probable reason of the difference between η* and η. The width of spectrum is determined by the degree of ordering of states of compared metastable liquid and glass at the same temperature; it depends on the thermal prehistory of each state. A wider spectrum of relaxation times corresponds to a more ordered state. For the considered glasses, the ratio of the temperature corresponding to viscosity value η* of the metastable liquid to the temperature of α-relaxation maximum (T _α) is 1.03 ± 0.01 at T _α variation from 190 to 1550 K. It is the evidence that all the relaxation frequencies, constituting both “narrow” and “broad” spectrum are associated with one and the same molecular mechanism. Mechanical losses in the metastable supercooled glycerol are described by the Maxwell equation with high precision for η values from 10¹³ to 10⁵ Pa s.     

Various Approaches to Studying the Phase Transition in an Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane Crystal: From X-ray Structural Analysis to Metadynamics

The structure, thermodynamic parameters, and the character of thermal motion in octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) were investigated using the combination of experimental (single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermochemistry) and theoretical (density functional theory calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics and metadynamics) methods. Single crystals of D4 were grown in a glass capillary in situ and the structures of high- (238–270 K) and low-temperature (100–230 K) phases were studied in detail. In the temperature interval 230–238 K, a phase transition with rather low enthalpy (−1.04(7) kcal/mol) was detected. It was found that phase transition is accompanied by change of conformation of cyclosiloxane moiety from boat-saddle (cradle) to chair. According to PBE0/6-311G(d,p) calculation of isolated D4, such conformation changes are characterized by a low barrier (0.07 kcal/mol). The character of molecular thermal motion and the path of phase transition were established with combination of periodic DFT calculations, including molecular dynamics and metadynamics. The effect of crystal field led to an increase in the calculated phase transition barrier (4.27 kcal/mol from low- to high-temperature phase and 3.20 kcal/mol in opposite direction).     

Dynamic mechanical analysis of the two glass transitions in a thermotropic polymer

A dynamic mechanical analysis has been performed on a thermotropic poly(ether ester) with biphenyl units as mesogens and spacers with methyl substituents. This polymer develops a smectic mesophase with a rather slow rate of formation, in such a way that the isotropic melt of this polymer can be easily quenched into the glassy amorphous state. A quenched amorphous sample and three specimens annealed above the glass transition for different times have been analysed. These annealed specimens exhibit different degrees of liquid crystal formation. The dynamic mechanical (and DSC) results show that the glass transition (α-relaxation) temperatures of the isotropic amorphous and anisotropic liquid crystalline states are clearly different, and when the mesophase transformation is not complete, as it happens in the two specimens annealed at intermediate times, the two glass transitions are simultaneously observed. The values of the storage modulus below the glass transition are dependent on the degree of liquid crystallinity, showing that the rigidity of the mesophase is significantly higher than the one for the amorphous component.     

Simple Estimation of F?rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Orientation Factor Distribution in Membranes

Because of its acute sensitivity to distance in the nanometer scale, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has found a large variety of applications in many fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. One important issue regarding the correct usage of FRET is its dependence on the donor-acceptor relative orientation, expressed as the orientation factor κ². Different donor/acceptor conformations can lead to κ² values in the 0 ≤ κ² ≤ 4 range. Because the characteristic distance for FRET, R₀, is proportional to (κ²)^1/6, uncertainties in the orientation factor are reflected in the quality of information that can be retrieved from a FRET experiment. In most cases, the average value of κ² corresponding to the dynamic isotropic limit (<κ²> = 2/3) is used for computation of R₀ and hence donor-acceptor distances and acceptor concentrations. However, this can lead to significant error in unfavorable cases. This issue is more critical in membrane systems, because of their intrinsically anisotropic nature and their reduced fluidity in comparison to most common solvents. Here, a simple numerical simulation method for estimation of the probability density function of κ² for membrane-embedded donor and acceptor fluorophores in the dynamic regime is presented. In the simplest form, the proposed procedure uses as input the most probable orientations of the donor and acceptor transition dipoles, obtained by experimental (including linear dichroism) or theoretical (such as molecular dynamics simulation) techniques. Optionally, information about the widths of the donor and/or acceptor angular distributions may be incorporated. The methodology is illustrated for special limiting cases and common membrane FRET pairs.     

Effect of pH on the Aggregation of α-syn12 Dimer in Explicit Water by Replica-Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The dimeric structure of the N-terminal 12 residues drives the interaction of α-synuclein protein with membranes. Moreover, experimental studies indicated that the aggregation of α-synuclein is faster at low pH than neutral pH. Nevertheless, the effects of different pH on the structural characteristics of the α-syn12 dimer remain poorly understood. We performed 500 ns temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics (T-REMD) simulations of two α-syn12 peptides in explicit solvent. The free energy surfaces contain ten highly populated regions at physiological pH, while there are only three highly populated regions contained at acidic pH. The anti-parallel β-sheet conformations were found as the lowest free energy state. Additionally, these states are nearly flat with a very small barrier which indicates that these states can easily transit between themselves. The dimer undergoes a disorder to order transition from physiological pH to acidic pH and the α-syn12 dimer at acidic pH involves a faster dimerization process. Further, the Lys6–Asp2 contact may prevent the dimerization.     

Thermodynamics of π–π Interactions of Benzene and Phenol in Water

The π–π interaction is a major driving force that stabilizes protein assemblies during protein folding. Recent studies have additionally demonstrated its involvement in the liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). As the participating residues in IDPs are exposed to water, π–π interactions for LLPS must be modeled in water, as opposed to the interactions that are often established at the hydrophobic domains of folded proteins. Thus, we investigated the association of free energies of benzene and phenol dimers in water by integrating van der Waals (vdW)-corrected density functional theory (DFT) and DFT in classical explicit solvents (DFT-CES). By comparing the vdW-corrected DFT and DFT-CES results with high-level wavefunction calculations and experimental solvation free energies, respectively, we established the quantitative credibility of these approaches, enabling a reliable prediction of the benzene and phenol dimer association free energies in water. We discovered that solvation influences dimer association free energies, but not significantly when no direct hydrogen-bond-type interaction exists between two monomeric units, which can be explained by the enthalpy–entropy compensation. Our comprehensive computational study of the solvation effect on π–π interactions in water could help us understand the molecular-level driving mechanism underlying the IDP phase behaviors.     

Temperature dependences of the density of borate glasses in equilibrium states at temperatures below the glass transition point

The kinetics of density relaxation during isothermal treatment of samples of vitreous boron oxide and sodium borate glasses (containing 15, 20, and 30 mol % Na₂O) cooled from high temperatures and after heating of the samples stabilized at low temperatures is investigated over a wide range of temperatures below the glass transition point T _g . It is established that there exists a temperature T _s below which the density in the equilibrium state does not depend on the temperature, i.e., the temperature at which the supercooled liquid transforms into a new noncrystalline solid state. The distinguishing feature of this state is the absence of structural transformations after a change in the temperature. The temperatures of the transition of the supercooled liquid to the noncrystalline solid state and the ranges of lower temperatures at which the supercooled liquid can reach an equilibrium state within the limits of experimental error coincide with those previously obtained in the study of relaxation processes in these glasses by the small-angle X-ray scattering technique.     

Thermal and nonthermal physiochemical processes in nanoscale films of amorphous solid water

Amorphous solid water (ASW) is a disordered version of ice created by vapor deposition onto a cold substrate (typically less than 130 K). It has a higher free energy than the crystalline phase of ice, and when heated above its glass transition temperature, it transforms into a metastable supercooled liquid. This unusual form of water exists on earth only in laboratories, after preparation with highly specialized equipment. It is thus fair to ask why there is any interest in studying such an esoteric material. Much of the scientific interest results from the ability to use ASW as a model system for exploring the physical and reactive properties of liquid water and aqueous solutions. ASW is also thought to be the predominant form of water in the extremely cold temperatures of many interstellar and planetary environments. In addition, ASW is a convenient model system for studying the stability of amorphous and glassy materials as well as the properties of highly porous materials. A fundamental understanding of such properties is invaluable in a diverse range of applications, including cryobiology, food science, pharmaceuticals, astrophysics, and nuclear waste storage, among others. Over the past 15 years, we have used molecular beams and surface science techniques to probe the thermal and nonthermal properties of nanoscale films of ASW. In this Account, we present a survey of our research on the properties of ASW using this approach. We use molecular beams to precisely control the deposition conditions (flux, incident energy, and incident angle) and create compositionally tailored, nanoscale films of ASW at low temperatures. To study the transport properties (viscosity and diffusivity), we heat the amorphous films above their glass transition temperature, T(g), at which they transform into deeply supercooled liquids prior to crystallization. The advantage of this approach is that at temperatures near T(g), the viscosity is approximately 15 orders of magnitude larger than that of a normal liquid. As a result, the crystallization kinetics are dramatically slowed, increasing the time available for experiments. For example, near T(g), a water molecule moves less than the distance of a single molecule on a typical laboratory time scale (～1000 s). For this reason, nanoscale films help to probe the behavior and reactions of supercooled liquids at these low temperatures. ASW films can also be used for investigating the nonthermal reactions relevant to radiolysis.     

The Interplay between the Theories of Mode Coupling and of Percolation Transition in Attractive Colloidal Systems

In the recent years a considerable effort has been devoted to foster the understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying the dynamical arrest that is involved in glass forming in supercooled liquids and in the sol-gel transition. The elucidation of the nature of such processes represents one of the most challenging unsolved problems in the field of material science. In this context, two important theories have contributed significantly to the interpretation of these phenomena: the Mode-Coupling theory (MCT) and the Percolation theory (PT). These theories are rooted on the two pillars of statistical physics, universality and scale laws, and their original formulations have been subsequently modified to account for the fundamental concepts of Energy Landscape (EL) and of the universality of the fragile to strong dynamical crossover (FSC). In this review, we discuss experimental and theoretical results, including Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, reported in the literature for colloidal and polymer systems displaying both glass and sol-gel transitions. Special focus is dedicated to the analysis of the interferences between these transitions and on the possible interplay between MCT and PT. By reviewing recent theoretical developments, we show that such interplay between sol-gel and glass transitions may be interpreted in terms of the extended F13 MCT model that describes these processes based on the presence of a glass-glass transition line terminating in an A3 cusp-like singularity (near which the logarithmic decay of the density correlator is observed). This transition line originates from the presence of two different amorphous structures, one generated by the inter-particle attraction and the other by the pure repulsion characteristic of hard spheres. We show here, combining literature results with some new results, that such a situation can be generated, and therefore experimentally studied, by considering colloidal-like particles interacting via a hard core plus an attractive square well potential. In the final part of this review, scaling laws associated both to MCT and PT are applied to describe, by means of these two theories, the specific viscoelastic properties of some systems.     

MD simulation of phase transformations in liquid carbon

The supercooled liquid of carbon is investigated by means of molecular-dynamics simulation. The dynamics of a glass and a supercooled liquid is compared and the glass transition temperature is determined by two methods: analyzing (i) the temperature dependence of thermodynamic coefficients and (ii) relaxation time of liquid. The pressure dependences of the glass transition temperature and the diamond melting temperature are found. The percolation properties of structures of sp³ atoms formed in liquid carbon with different numbers of embedded diamond crystallites are investigated. It is shown that the percolation cluster of 4-fold coordinated atoms forms when their total concentration in structure reaches a value close to 0.38 irrespective of the number of embedded crystallites. It turns out that the stability of diamond crystallites embedded into supercooled carbon liquid correlates with the presence of the percolation cluster of 4-fold coordinated atoms. The correspondence of diamond crystallite stability with percolation disappears at a temperature more than 5000 K. The topological criterion for the definition of tetrahedral amorphous carbon is proposed: amorphous carbon is tetrahedral if a percolation cluster exists in it and the embedded diamond crystallites are stable.     

Revisiting metastable immiscibility in SiO2–Al2O3: Structure and phase separation of supercooled liquids and glasses

Understanding and controlling liquid–liquid phase separation in aluminosilicates is crucial for optimizing glass properties. However, the metastable nature of aluminosilicates’ phase separation has made it difficult to study experimentally, and uncertainty persists regarding the compositional and temperature extents of the miscibility gap. Here, we present new experimental evidence that suggests a consolute temperature between 1440 and 1590°C and endmember compositions of 7 and 62 mol.% Al₂O₃ for the phase-separated glasses. Using containerless melt processing, deeply supercooled liquids over the 0–60 mol.% Al₂O₃ range are probed with in situ small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, which simultaneously reveals changes in nanoscale density heterogeneity and atomic structure. Correlations between phase separation and atomic coordination environments are compared for liquids and glasses. Pair distribution function analysis shows mean O–(Si + Al) coordination increases with Al₂O₃ content and decreases with temperature.