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Related Concept Videos

Phase Diagram01:19

Phase Diagram

6.0K
The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).
6.0K
Phase Diagrams02:39

Phase Diagrams

43.5K
A phase diagram combines plots of pressure versus temperature for the liquid-gas, solid-liquid, and solid-gas phase-transition equilibria of a substance. These diagrams indicate the physical states that exist under specific conditions of pressure and temperature and also provide the pressure dependence of the phase-transition temperatures (melting points, sublimation points, boiling points). Regions or areas labeled solid, liquid, and gas represent single phases, while lines or curves represent...
43.5K
Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

20.1K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
20.1K
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

13.0K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
13.0K
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition02:33

Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition

17.8K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
17.8K
Distillation: Vapor–Liquid Equilibria01:01

Distillation: Vapor–Liquid Equilibria

2.9K
Distillation is a separation technique that takes advantage of the boiling point properties of disparate elements in a mixture. To perform distillation, we begin by heating a miscible mixture of two liquids with a significant difference in boiling points (at least 20°C). As the solution heats up and reaches the bubble point of the more volatile component, some molecules of the more volatile component transition into the gas phase and travel upward into the condenser, which is a glass tube...
2.9K

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Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
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Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers

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Identification of a quasi-liquid phase at solid-liquid interface.

Xinxing Peng1,2,3, Fu-Chun Zhu1, You-Hong Jiang1

  • 1State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.

Nature Communications
|June 23, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers observed a quasi-liquid phase at metal-liquid interfaces using advanced microscopy. This finding reveals a crucial intermediate for mass transport, impacting fundamental research and industrial applications.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Surface Chemistry
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Solid-liquid interfaces are critical in science and industry.
  • Directly imaging these interfaces at high resolution remains a significant challenge.
  • Understanding interface structure and properties is essential for controlling material behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To directly image and characterize the solid-liquid interface of metal nanoparticles.
  • To investigate the nature of the interface between metal (In, Sn) nanoparticles and aqueous solutions.
  • To elucidate the role of this interface in mass transport and its stabilization mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) for real-time, high-resolution imaging.
  • Density functional theory-molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) simulations to probe interfacial phenomena.
  • In situ observation of metal nanoparticle-aqueous solution interactions.

Main Results:

  • A quasi-liquid phase was observed at the interface between metal (In, Sn) nanoparticle surfaces and aqueous solutions.
  • Real-time imaging revealed a thin layer of liquid-like material with transient In nanoclusters.
  • DFT-MD simulations indicated that positive charges on In ions stabilize this quasi-liquid phase.
  • The quasi-liquid phase acts as an intermediate for mass transport from nanoparticle to liquid.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully visualized a previously elusive quasi-liquid phase at metal-liquid interfaces.
  • This quasi-liquid phase plays a vital role in mediating mass transport.
  • The findings provide fundamental insights into interfacial phenomena relevant to catalysis, energy storage, and nanotechnology.