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Related Concept Videos

Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

18.0K
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and...
18.0K
Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

18.5K
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...
18.5K
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

12.2K
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...
12.2K
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition02:33

Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition

16.5K
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...
16.5K
Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

13.5K
Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
13.5K
Molecular and Ionic Solids02:54

Molecular and Ionic Solids

16.5K
Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
16.5K

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Updated: May 12, 2025

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

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Phase transitions and dimensional cross-over in layered confined solids.

Yong Wang1,2, Junjie Wang1, Ge Yao1

  • 1School of Physics and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|April 21, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Confined atomic systems exhibit unique solid phases and melting behaviors. Multilayer systems transition through a hexatic phase before melting, unlike 2D layers, due to evolving topological defects.

Keywords:
defectsdisclinationsdislocationsmeltingmultilayers

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Understanding solid phases and phase transitions in confined systems is crucial for materials design.
  • The behavior of matter under confinement, particularly at the nanoscale, often deviates from bulk properties.
  • Order-disorder transitions in two-dimensional (2D) versus three-dimensional (3D) systems present distinct challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature of solid phases and melting transitions in noble gases and aluminum confined between graphene sheets.
  • To explore the crossover from 2D to 3D behavior in multilayer confined systems.
  • To elucidate the role of topological defects in the melting process of confined solids.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized crystal structure search methods to identify novel confined solid structures.
  • Employed molecular dynamics simulations powered by machine-learned potentials with quantum-mechanical accuracy.
  • Analyzed phase transitions under varying pressures and temperatures for different numbers of confined layers.

Main Results:

  • Identified non-close-packed structures in multilayer confined solids.
  • Observed that 2D monolayers melt via the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young theory.
  • Discovered a continuous transition to an intermediate hexatic phase in multilayer systems before discontinuous melting into a liquid.
  • This hexatic phase was observed up to 12 layers.

Conclusions:

  • The melting behavior of confined multilayer systems differs significantly from 2D monolayers.
  • An intermediate hexatic phase emerges in multilayer systems due to the crossover from 2D to 3D topological defects during melting.
  • These findings offer insights into the fundamental physics of phase transitions in low-dimensional and confined materials.