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Updated: May 31, 2026

Flash-and-Freeze: A Novel Technique to Capture Membrane Dynamics with Electron Microscopy
Published on: May 1, 2017
Effects of confinement on freezing and melting
C Alba-Simionesco1, B Coasne, G Dosseh
1Laboratoire de Chimie Physique, CNRS-UMR 8000, Bâtiment 349, Université de Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay, France.
Abstract:
We present a review of experimental, theoretical, and molecular simulation studies of confinement effects on freezing and melting. We consider both simple and more complex adsorbates that are confined in various environments (slit or cylindrical pores and also disordered porous materials). The most commonly used molecular simulation, theoretical and experimental methods are first presented. We also provide a brief description of the most widely used porous materials. The current state of knowledge on the effects of confinement on structure and freezing temperature, and the appearance of new surface-driven and confinement-driven phases are then discussed. We also address how confinement affects the glass transition.
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