Issue 18, 2013

Experimental evidence for surface freezing in supercooled n-alkane nanodroplets

Abstract

Intermediate chain length (16 ≤ i ≤ 50) n-alkanes are known to surface freeze at temperatures that are up to three degrees higher than the equilibrium melting point [B. M. Ocko et al., Phys. Rev. E, 1997, 55, 3164–3182]. Our recent experimental results suggest that highly supercooled nanodroplets of n-octane and n-nonane also surface freeze, and subsequently bulk crystallization occurs. The data yield surface and bulk nucleation rates on the order of ∼1015 cm−2 s−1 and ∼1022 cm−3 s−1, respectively, at temperatures between 180 K and 200 K. Molecular dynamics simulations at the united atom level were used to follow the freezing of a supercooled n-octane drop and show that an ordered monolayer develops on the surface of the droplet almost immediately, and the rest of the droplet then freezes in a layer-by-layer manner.

Graphical abstract: Experimental evidence for surface freezing in supercooled n-alkane nanodroplets

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Dec 2012
Accepted
05 Mar 2013
First published
05 Mar 2013

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013,15, 6783-6795

Experimental evidence for surface freezing in supercooled n-alkane nanodroplets

V. P. Modak, H. Pathak, M. Thayer, S. J. Singer and B. E. Wyslouzil, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 6783 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP44490B

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