1
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Patel P, Maitra Bhattacharyya S. Effect of the presence of pinned particles on the structural parameters of a liquid and correlation between structure and dynamics at the local level. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:164501. [PMID: 38647308 DOI: 10.1063/5.0191680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pinning particles at the equilibrium configuration of the liquid is expected not to affect the structure and any property that depends on the structure while slowing down the dynamics. This leads to a breakdown of the structure dynamics correlation. Here, we calculate two structural quantities: the pair excess entropy, S2, and the mean field caging potential, the inverse of which is our structural order parameter (SOP). We show that when the pinned particles are treated the same way as the mobile particles, both S2 and SOP of the mobile particles remain the same as those of the unpinned system, and the structure dynamics correlation decreases with an increase in pinning density, "c." However, when we treat the pinned particles as a different species, even if we consider that the structure does not change, the expression of S2 and SOP changes. The microscopic expressions show that the interaction between a pinned particle and a mobile particle affects S2 and SOP more than the interaction between two mobile particles. We show that a similar effect is also present in the calculation of the excess entropy and is the primary reason for the well-known vanishing of the configurational entropy at high temperatures. We further show that, contrary to the common belief, the pinning process does change the structure. When these two effects are considered, both S2 and SOP decrease with an increase in "c," and the correlation between the structural parameters and the dynamics continues even for higher values of "c."
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak Patel
- Polymer Science and Engineering Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sarika Maitra Bhattacharyya
- Polymer Science and Engineering Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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2
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Cheng S, Kogut D, Zheng J, Patil S, Yang F, Lu W. Dynamics of polylactic acid under ultrafine nanoconfinement: The collective interface effect and the spatial gradient. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:114904. [PMID: 38506298 DOI: 10.1063/5.0189762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Polymers under nanoconfinement can exhibit large alterations in dynamics from their bulk values due to an interface effect. However, understanding the interface effect remains a challenge, especially in the ultrafine nanoconfinement region. In this work, we prepare new geometries with ultrafine nanoconfinement ∼10nm through controlled distributions of the crystalline phases and the amorphous phases of a model semi-crystalline polymer, i.e., the polylactic acid. The broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements show that ultrafine nanoconfinement leads to a large elevation in the glass transition temperature and a strong increment in the polymer fragility index. Moreover, new relaxation time profile analyses demonstrate a spatial gradient that can be well described by either a single-exponential decay or a double-exponential decay functional form near the middle of the film with a collective interface effect. However, the dynamics at the 1-2 nm vicinity of the interface exhibit a power-law decay that is different from the single-exponential decay or double-exponential decay functional forms as predicted by theories. Thus, these results call for further investigations of the interface effect on polymer dynamics, especially for interfaces with perturbed chain packing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwang Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - David Kogut
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Juncheng Zheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Shalin Patil
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Fuming Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Weiyi Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
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3
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Yang E, Pressly JF, Natarajan B, Colby R, Winey KI, Riggleman RA. Understanding creep suppression mechanisms in polymer nanocomposites through machine learning. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:7580-7590. [PMID: 37755065 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00898c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
While recent efforts have shown how local structure plays an essential role in the dynamic heterogeneity of homogeneous glass-forming materials, systems containing interfaces such as thin films or composite materials remain poorly understood. It is known that interfaces perturb the molecular packing nearby, however, numerous studies show the dynamics are modified over a much larger range. Here, we examine the dynamics in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) using a combination of simulations and experiments and quantitatively separate the role of polymer packing from other effects on the dynamics, as a function of distance from the nanoparticle surfaces. After showing good qualitative agreement between the simulations and experiments in glassy structure and creep compliance, we use a machine-learned structure indicator, softness, to decompose polymer dynamics in our simulated PNCs into structure-dependent and structure-independent processes. With this decomposition, the free energy barrier for polymer rearrangement can be described as a combination of packing-dependent and packing-independent barriers. We find both barriers are higher near nanoparticles and decrease with applied stress, quantitatively demonstrating that the slow interfacial dynamics is not solely due to polymer packing differences, but also the change of structure-dynamics relationships. Finally, we present how this decomposition can be used to accurately predict strain-time creep curves for PNCs from their static configuration, providing additional insights into the effects of polymer-nanoparticle interfaces on creep suppression in PNCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Entao Yang
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - James F Pressly
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Bharath Natarajan
- ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ 08801, USA
| | - Robert Colby
- ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ 08801, USA
| | - Karen I Winey
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Robert A Riggleman
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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4
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Wang J, Xie SJ. The influence of force fields on the structure and dynamics of water confined in ZIF-8 from atomistic simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:23100-23110. [PMID: 37602670 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02075d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of modeling flexible crystals, such as ZIF-8, mainly stems from the handling of intramolecular interactions. Numerous force fields have been proposed in the literature to describe the interactions between atoms in ZIF-8. We employ seven force fields to examine the structure and dynamic behavior of water molecules confined in ZIF-8, with the aim of investigating the impact of force fields on simulation results. Various structural characterization methods consistently indicate that the choice of different force fields has quantitative effects but no qualitative effects on the structural characteristics of confined water. Additionally, the force fields do not impact the qualitative description of the diffusion mechanism. Both mean-square displacement and van Hove autocorrelation function reveal two characteristic movements of water molecules diffusing in ZIF-8: a short-time intra-cavity hopping process and a long-time inter-cavity hopping process. However, the framework flexibility is found to play a crucial role in determining the order of spatial arrangement and local structure, self-diffusion coefficient and reorientational dynamics of confined water. Specifically, the DREIDING force field gives rise to an unrealistic stiff framework, enhancing the order of spatial arrangement and diminishing the local ordered structure of confined water. Meanwhile, it results in much slower translational and reorientational dynamics. Hence, the general DREIDING force field cannot be considered for providing a quantitative description of the water structure and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- Center for Membrane Separation and Water Science & Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China.
| | - Shi-Jie Xie
- Center for Membrane Separation and Water Science & Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China.
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5
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Jung G, Franosch T. Computer simulations and mode-coupling theory of glass-forming confined hard-sphere fluids. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:054101. [PMID: 37328986 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.054101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We present mode-coupling theory (MCT) results for densely packed hard-sphere fluids confined between two parallel walls and compare them quantitatively to computer simulations. The numerical solution of MCT is calculated using the full system of matrix-valued integro-differential equations. We investigate several dynamical properties of supercooled liquids including scattering functions, frequency-dependent susceptibilities, and mean-square displacements. Close to the glass transition, we find quantitative agreement between the coherent scattering function predicted from theory and that evaluated from simulations, which enables us to make quantitative statements on caging and relaxation dynamics of the confined hard-sphere fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Jung
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Franosch
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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6
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Merrill JH, Li R, Roth CB. End-Tethered Chains Increase the Local Glass Transition Temperature of Matrix Chains by 45 K Next to Solid Substrates Independent of Chain Length. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:1-7. [PMID: 36516977 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The local glass transition temperature Tg of pyrene-labeled polystyrene (PS) chains intermixed with end-tethered PS chains grafted to a neutral silica substrate was measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. To isolate the impact of the grafted chains, the films were capped with bulk neat PS layers eliminating competing effects of the free surface. Results demonstrate that end-grafted chains strongly increase the local Tg of matrix chains by ≈45 K relative to bulk Tg, independent of grafted chain molecular weight from Mn = 8.6 to 212 kg/mol and chemical end-group, over a wide range of grafting densities σ = 0.003 to 0.33 chains/nm2 spanning the mushroom-to-brush transition regime. The tens-of-degree increase in local Tg resulting from immobilization of the chain ends by covalent bonding in this athermal system suggests a mechanism that substantially increases the local activation energy required for cooperative rearrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Merrill
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia30322, United States
| | - Ruoyu Li
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia30322, United States
| | - Connie B Roth
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia30322, United States
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7
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Creating bulk ultrastable glasses by random particle bonding. Nat Commun 2023; 14:113. [PMID: 36611023 PMCID: PMC9825381 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35812-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent breakthrough in glass science has been the synthesis of ultrastable glasses via physical vapor deposition techniques. These samples display enhanced thermodynamic, kinetic and mechanical stability, with important implications for fundamental science and technological applications. However, the vapor deposition technique is limited to atomic, polymer and organic glass-formers and is only able to produce thin film samples. Here, we propose a novel approach to generate ultrastable glassy configurations in the bulk, via random particle bonding, and using computer simulations we show that this method does indeed allow for the production of ultrastable glasses. Our technique is in principle applicable to any molecular or soft matter system, such as colloidal particles with tunable bonding interactions, thus opening the way to the design of a large class of ultrastable glasses.
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8
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Ghanekarade A, Simmons DS. Combined Mixing and Dynamical Origins of Tg Alterations Near Polymer–Polymer Interfaces. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Ghanekarade
- Department of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida33544, United States
| | - David S. Simmons
- Department of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida33544, United States
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9
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Dutta R, Pollak E. Microscopic origin of diffusive dynamics in the context of transition path time distributions for protein folding and unfolding. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:25373-25382. [PMID: 36239220 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03158b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Experimentally measured transition path time distributions are usually analyzed theoretically in terms of a diffusion equation over a free energy barrier. It is though well understood that the free energy profile separating the folded and unfolded states of a protein is characterized as a transition through many stable micro-states which exist between the folded and unfolded states. Why is it then justified to model the transition path dynamics in terms of a diffusion equation, namely the Smoluchowski equation (SE)? In principle, van Kampen has shown that a nearest neighbor Markov chain of thermal jumps between neighboring microstates will lead in a continuum limit to the SE, such that the friction coefficient is proportional to the mean residence time in each micro-state. However, the practical question of how many microstates are needed to justify modeling the transition path dynamics in terms of an SE has not been addressed. This is a central topic of this paper where we compare numerical results for transition paths based on the diffusion equation on the one hand and the nearest neighbor Markov jump model on the other. Comparison of the transition path time distributions shows that one needs at least a few dozen microstates to obtain reasonable agreement between the two approaches. Using the Markov nearest neighbor model one also obtains good agreement with the experimentally measured transition path time distributions for a DNA hairpin and PrP protein. As found previously when using the diffusion equation, the Markov chain model used here also reproduces the experimentally measured long time tail and confirms that the transition path barrier height is ∼3kBT. This study indicates that in the future, when attempting to model experimentally measured transition path time distributions, one should perhaps prefer a nearest neighbor Markov model which is well defined also for rough energy landscapes. Such studies can also shed light on the minimal number of microstates needed to unravel the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Dutta
- Chemical and Biological Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Eli Pollak
- Chemical and Biological Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel.
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10
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Phan AD. Screening and collective effects in randomly pinned fluids: a new theoretical framework. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2022; 34:435101. [PMID: 35985315 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ac8b51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We propose a theoretical framework for the dynamics of bulk isotropic hard-sphere systems in the presence of randomly pinned particles and apply this theory to supercooled water to validate it. Structural relaxation is mainly governed by local and non-local activated process. As the pinned fraction grows, a local caging constraint becomes stronger and the long range collective aspect of relaxation is screened by immobile obstacles. Different responses of the local and cooperative motions results in subtle predictions for how the alpha relaxation time varies with pinning and density. Our theoretical analysis for the relaxation time of water with pinned molecules quantitatively well describe previous simulations. In addition, the thermal dependence of relaxation for unpinned bulk water is also consistent with prior computational and experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh D Phan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Phenikaa Institute for Advanced Study, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
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11
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Mercier F, Delhaye G, Teboul V. Activation induced fluidization of a confined viscous liquid. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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Villada-Balbuena A, Jung G, Zuccolotto-Bernez AB, Franosch T, Egelhaaf SU. Layering and packing in confined colloidal suspensions. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4699-4714. [PMID: 35702953 PMCID: PMC9241587 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00412g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Confinement modifies the properties of a fluid. The particle density is no longer uniform but depends on the distance from the walls; parallel to the walls, layers with different particle densities form. This affects the particle packing in the layers. We investigated colloidal fluids with volume fractions between 0.19 and 0.32 confined between rough walls. The particle-particle interactions were dominated by hard-sphere interactions but also contained some electrostatic interactions. The particle locations were determined using confocal microscopy and served to calculate the density profile, radial distribution function, anisotropic and generalized structure factors but also to characterize the arrangement of the wall particles leading to the roughness of the walls. The experiments are complemented by molecular dynamics simulations and fundamental-measure theory. While the particle arrangements are mainly controlled by hard-core interactions, electrostatic interactions become more important as the volume fraction decreases. Furthermore, the structure of the rough walls was varied and found to have a significant effect on the fluid structure. An appropriate representation of the rough walls in the simulations is thus crucial to successfully mimic the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Villada-Balbuena
- Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Jung
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Angel B Zuccolotto-Bernez
- Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Thomas Franosch
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stefan U Egelhaaf
- Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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13
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Bruns M, Varnik F. Enhanced dynamics in deep thermal cycling of a model glass. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:234501. [PMID: 35732512 DOI: 10.1063/5.0094024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigate the effect of low temperature (cryogenic) thermal cycling on dynamics of a generic model glass via molecular dynamics simulations. By calculating mean squared displacements after a varying number of cycles, a pronounced enhancement of dynamics is observed. This rejuvenation effect is visible already after the first cycle and accumulates upon further cycling in an intermittent way. Our data reveal an overall deformation (buckling of the slab-shaped system) modulated by a heterogeneous deformation field due to deep cryogenic thermal cycling. It is shown via strain maps that deformation localizes in the form of shear-bands, which gradually fill the entire sample in a random and intermittent manner, very much similar to the accumulation effect observed in dynamics. While spatial organization of local strain may be connected to the specific geometry, we argue that the heterogeneity of the structure is the main cause behind rejuvenation effects observed in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Bruns
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation (ICAMS), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Fathollah Varnik
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Advanced Materials Simulation (ICAMS), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
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14
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Horstmann R, Hecht L, Kloth S, Vogel M. Structural and Dynamical Properties of Liquids in Confinements: A Review of Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:6506-6522. [PMID: 35580166 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are a powerful tool for detailed studies of altered properties of liquids in confinement, in particular, of changed structures and dynamics. They allow, on one hand, for perfect control and systematic variation of the geometries and interactions inherent in confinement situations and, on the other hand, for type-selective and position-resolved analyses of a huge variety of structural and dynamical parameters. Here, we review MD simulation studies on various types of liquids and confinements. The main focus is confined aqueous systems, but also ionic liquids and polymer and silica melts are discussed. Results for confinements featuring different interactions, sizes, shapes, and rigidity will be presented. Special attention will be given to situations in which the confined liquid and the confining matrix consist of the same type of particles and, hence, disparate liquid-matrix interactions are absent. Findings for the magnitude and the range of wall effects on molecular positions and orientations and on molecular dynamics, including vibrational motion and structural relaxation, are reviewed. Moreover, their dependence on the parameters of the confinement and their relevance to theoretical approaches to the glass transition are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Horstmann
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Lukas Hecht
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kloth
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Vogel
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
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15
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Yimam DT, Kooi BJ. Thickness-Dependent Crystallization of Ultrathin Antimony Thin Films for Monatomic Multilevel Reflectance and Phase Change Memory Designs. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:13593-13600. [PMID: 35266381 PMCID: PMC8949766 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c23974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phase change materials, with more than one reflectance and resistance states, have been a subject of interest in the fields of phase change memories and nanophotonics. Although most current research focuses on rather complex phase change alloys, e.g., Ge2Sb2Te5, recently, monatomic antimony thin films have aroused a lot of interest. One prominent attractive feature is its simplicity, giving fewer reliability issues like segregation and phase separation. However, phase transformation and crystallization properties of ultrathin Sb thin films must be understood to fully incorporate them into future memory and nanophotonics devices. Here, we studied the thickness-dependent crystallization behavior of pulsed laser-deposited ultrathin Sb thin films by employing dynamic ellipsometry. We show that the crystallization temperature and phase transformation speed of as-deposited amorphous Sb thin films are thickness-dependent and can be precisely tuned by controlling the film thickness. Thus, crystallization temperature tuning by thickness can be applied to future memory and nanophotonic devices. As a proof of principle, we designed a heterostructure device with three Sb layers of varying thicknesses with distinct crystallization temperatures. Measurements and simulation results show that it is possible to address these layers individually and produce distinct and multiple reflectance profiles in a single device. In addition, we show that the immiscible nature of Sb and GaSb could open up possible heterostructure device designs with high stability after melt-quench and increased crystallization temperature. Our results demonstrate that the thickness-dependent phase transformation and crystallization dynamics of ultrathin Sb thin films have attractive features for future memory and nanophotonic devices.
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16
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McKenzie I, Fujimoto D, Karner VL, Li R, MacFarlane WA, McFadden RML, Morris GD, Pearson MR, Raegen AN, Stachura M, Ticknor JO, Forrest JA. A β-NMR study of the depth, temperature, and molecular-weight dependence of secondary dynamics in polystyrene: Entropy–enthalpy compensation and dynamic gradients near the free surface. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:084903. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0081185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the depth, temperature, and molecular-weight (MW) dependence of the γ-relaxation in polystyrene glasses using implanted 8Li+ and β-detected nuclear magnetic resonance. Measurements were performed on thin films with MW ranging from 1.1 to 641 kg/mol. The temperature dependence of the average 8Li spin–lattice relaxation time [Formula: see text] was measured near the free surface and in the bulk. Spin–lattice relaxation is caused by phenyl ring flips, which involve transitions between local minima over free-energy barriers with enthalpic and entropic contributions. We used transition state theory to model the temperature dependence of the γ-relaxation, and hence [Formula: see text]. There is no clear correlation of the average entropy of activation [Formula: see text] and enthalpy of activation [Formula: see text] with MW, but there is a clear correlation between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], i.e., entropy–enthalpy compensation. This results in the average Gibbs energy of activation, [Formula: see text], being approximately independent of MW. Measurements of the temperature dependence of [Formula: see text] as a function of depth below the free surface indicate the inherent entropic barrier, i.e., the entropy of activation corresponding to [Formula: see text] = 0, has an exponential dependence on the distance from the free surface before reaching the bulk value. This results in [Formula: see text] near the free surface being lower than the bulk. Combining these observations results in a model where the average fluctuation rate of the γ-relaxation has a “double-exponential” depth dependence. This model can explain the depth dependence of [Formula: see text] in polystyrene films. The characteristic length of enhanced dynamics is ∼6 nm and approximately independent of MW near room temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain McKenzie
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A3, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Derek Fujimoto
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Victoria L. Karner
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Ruohong Li
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A3, Canada
| | - W. Andrew MacFarlane
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A3, Canada
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Ryan M. L. McFadden
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | | | - Matthew R. Pearson
- Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE, United Kingdom
| | - Adam N. Raegen
- TRIUMF, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2A3, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - John O. Ticknor
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - James A. Forrest
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
- Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada
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17
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Phan AD. Confinement Effects on the Spatially Inhomogeneous Dynamics in Metallic Glass Films. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1609-1614. [PMID: 35166111 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This work develops the elastically collective nonlinear Langevin equation theory to investigate, for the first time, the glassy dynamics in capped metallic glass thin films. Finite-size effects on the spatial gradient of structural relaxation time and glass transition temperature (Tg) are calculated at different temperatures and vitrification criteria. Molecular dynamics is significantly slowed down near rough solid surfaces, and the dynamics at location far from the interfaces is sped up. In thick films, the mobility gradient normalized by the bulk value obeys the double-exponential form since interference effects between two surfaces are weak. Reducing the film thickness induces a strong dynamic coupling between two surfaces and flattens the relaxation gradient. The normalized gradient of the glass transition temperature is independent of vitrification time scale criterion and can be fitted by a superposition function as the films are not ultrathin. The local fragility is found to remain unchanged with location. This finding suggests that one can use Angell plots of bulk relaxation time and the Tg spatial gradient to characterize glassy dynamics in metallic glass films. Our computational results agree well with experimental data and simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh D Phan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Phenikaa Institute for Advanced Study, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
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18
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Köster R, Vogel M. Slow liquid dynamics near solid surfaces: Insights from site-resolved studies of ionic liquids in silica confinement. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:074501. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0079722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Vogel
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, TU Darmstadt, Germany
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19
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Bruns M, Varnik F. Rejuvenation in Deep Thermal Cycling of a Generic Model Glass: A Study of Per-Particle Energy Distribution. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15030829. [PMID: 35160779 PMCID: PMC8836976 DOI: 10.3390/ma15030829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the effect of low temperature (cryogenic) thermal cycling on a generic model glass and observe signature of rejuvenation in terms of per-particle potential energy distributions. Most importantly, these distributions become broader and its average values successively increase when applying consecutive thermal cycles. We show that linear dimension plays a key role for these effects to become visible, since we do only observe a weak effect for a cubic system of roughly one hundred particle diameter but observe strong changes for a rule-type geometry with the longest length being two thousand particle diameters. A consistent interpretation of this new finding is provided in terms of a competition between relaxation processes, which are inherent to glassy systems, and excitation due to thermal treatment. In line with our previous report (Bruns et al., PRR 3, 013234 (2021)), it is shown that, depending on the parameters of thermal cycling, rejuvenation can be either too weak to be detected or strong enough for a clear observation.
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20
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Dragoni D, Behler J, Bernasconi M. Mechanism of amorphous phase stabilization in ultrathin films of monoatomic phase change material. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:16146-16155. [PMID: 34542138 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr03432d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Elemental antimony has been recently proposed as a promising material for phase change memories with improved performances with respect to the most used ternary chalcogenide alloys. The compositional simplification prevents reliability problems due to demixing of the alloy during memory operation. This is made possible by the dramatic stabilization of the amorphous phase once Sb is confined in an ultrathin film 3-5 nm thick. In this work, we shed light on the microscopic origin of this effect by means of large scale molecular dynamics simulations based on an interatomic potential generated with a machine learning technique. The simulations suggest that the dramatic reduction of the crystal growth velocity in the film with respect to the bulk is due to the effect of nanoconfinement on the fast β relaxation dynamics while the slow α relaxation is essentially unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Dragoni
- Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy.
| | - Jörg Behler
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Theoretische Chemie, Universität Göttingen, Tammannstr. 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marco Bernasconi
- Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Via R. Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy.
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21
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Ghanekarade A, Phan AD, Schweizer KS, Simmons DS. Nature of dynamic gradients, glass formation, and collective effects in ultrathin freestanding films. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2104398118. [PMID: 34326262 PMCID: PMC8346796 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104398118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular, polymeric, colloidal, and other classes of liquids can exhibit very large, spatially heterogeneous alterations of their dynamics and glass transition temperature when confined to nanoscale domains. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the related problem of near-interface relaxation and diffusion in thick films. However, the origin of "nanoconfinement effects" on the glassy dynamics of thin films, where gradients from different interfaces interact and genuine collective finite size effects may emerge, remains a longstanding open question. Here, we combine molecular dynamics simulations, probing 5 decades of relaxation, and the Elastically Cooperative Nonlinear Langevin Equation (ECNLE) theory, addressing 14 decades in timescale, to establish a microscopic and mechanistic understanding of the key features of altered dynamics in freestanding films spanning the full range from ultrathin to thick films. Simulations and theory are in qualitative and near-quantitative agreement without use of any adjustable parameters. For films of intermediate thickness, the dynamical behavior is well predicted to leading order using a simple linear superposition of thick-film exponential barrier gradients, including a remarkable suppression and flattening of various dynamical gradients in thin films. However, in sufficiently thin films the superposition approximation breaks down due to the emergence of genuine finite size confinement effects. ECNLE theory extended to treat thin films captures the phenomenology found in simulation, without invocation of any critical-like phenomena, on the basis of interface-nucleated gradients of local caging constraints, combined with interfacial and finite size-induced alterations of the collective elastic component of the structural relaxation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Ghanekarade
- Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620
| | - Anh D Phan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam;
| | - Kenneth S Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801;
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - David S Simmons
- Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620;
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22
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Roth CB. Polymers under nanoconfinement: where are we now in understanding local property changes? Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:8050-8066. [PMID: 34086025 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00054c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Polymers are increasingly being used in applications with nanostructured morphologies where almost all polymer molecules are within a few tens to hundreds of nanometers from some interface. From nearly three decades of study on polymers in simplified nanoconfined systems such as thin films, we have come to understand property changes in these systems as arising from interfacial effects where local dynamical perturbations are propagated deeper into the material. This review provides a summary of local glass transition temperature Tg changes near interfaces, comparing across different types of interfaces: free surface, substrate, liquid, and polymer-polymer. Local versus film-average properties in thin films are discussed, making connections to other related property changes, while highlighting several historically important studies. By experimental necessity, most studies are on high enough molecule weight chains to be well entangled, although aspects that connect to lower molecule weight materials are described. Emphasis is made to identify observations and open questions that have yet to be fully understood such as the evidence of long-ranged interfacial effects, finite domain size, interfacial breadth, and chain connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie B Roth
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
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23
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Rahman T, Simmons DS. Near-Substrate Gradients in Chain Relaxation and Viscosity in a Model Low-Molecular Weight Polymer. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamanna Rahman
- Department of Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - David S. Simmons
- Department of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, United States
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24
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Mahmud G, Zhang H, Douglas JF. Localization model description of the interfacial dynamics of crystalline Cu and Cu 64Zr 36 metallic glass films. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:124508. [PMID: 33003746 DOI: 10.1063/5.0022937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies of structural relaxation in Cu-Zr metallic glass materials having a range of compositions and over a wide range of temperatures and in crystalline UO2 under superionic conditions have indicated that the localization model (LM) can predict the structural relaxation time τα of these materials from the intermediate scattering function without any free parameters from the particle mean square displacement ⟨r2⟩ at a caging time on the order of ps, i.e., the "Debye-Waller factor" (DWF). In the present work, we test whether this remarkable relation between the "fast" picosecond dynamics and the rate of structural relaxation τα in these model amorphous and crystalline materials can be extended to the prediction of the local interfacial dynamics of model amorphous and crystalline films. Specifically, we simulate the free-standing amorphous Cu64Zr36 and crystalline Cu films and find that the LM provides an excellent parameter-free prediction for τα of the interfacial region. We also show that the Tammann temperature, defining the initial formation of a mobile interfacial layer, can be estimated precisely for both crystalline and glass-forming solid materials from the condition that the DWFs of the interfacial region and the material interior coincide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gazi Mahmud
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Jack F Douglas
- Material Measurement Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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25
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Jung G, Schrack L, Franosch T. Tagged-particle dynamics in confined colloidal liquids. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:032611. [PMID: 33075887 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.032611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We present numerical results for the tagged-particle dynamics by solving the mode-coupling theory in confined geometry for colloidal liquids (cMCT). We show that neither the microscopic dynamics nor the type of intermediate scattering function qualitatively changes the asymptotic dynamics in vicinity of the glass transition. In particular, we find similar characteristics of confinement in the low-frequency susceptibility spectrum which we interpret as footprints of parallel relaxation. We derive predictions for the localization length and the scaling of the diffusion coefficient in the supercooled regime and discover a pronounced nonmonotonic dependence on the confinement length. For dilute liquids in the hydrodynamic limit we calculate an analytical expression for the intermediate scattering functions, which is in perfect agreement with event-driven Brownian dynamics simulations. From this, we derive an expression for persistent anticorrelations in the velocity autocorrelation function (VACF) for confined motion. Using numerical results of the cMCT equations for the VACF we also identify a crossover between different scalings corresponding to a transition from unconfined to confined behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Jung
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Schrack
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Franosch
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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26
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Wang Y, Fan Y. Incident Velocity Induced Nonmonotonic Aging of Vapor-Deposited Polymer Glasses. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:5740-5745. [PMID: 32539401 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Physical vapor deposition can produce remarkably stable glassy materials. However, a mechanistic understanding of the interplay between control parameters during such nonequilibrium processing (e.g., deposition rate, substrate temperature, incident velocity, etc.) remains an unresolved challenge to date. In this study, we report on the discovery of a dual role of incident molecules' mass-center velocity in controlling the stability of vapor-deposited glasses through atomistic modeling. On one hand, larger velocities would impose the surface atoms into a higher effective temperature environment and facilitate the relaxation as the sample approaches the glass transition temperature. On the other hand, larger velocities would meanwhile cause faster cooling rates for the deposited molecules and destabilize the sample. The competition between the two factors results in a remarkable nonmonotonic variation of the sample's stability where an optimal velocity can be quantitatively resolved. Implications of our findings for better controlling molecular-level mechanisms in glassy materials are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchu Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yue Fan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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27
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Jung G, Caraglio M, Schrack L, Franosch T. Dynamical properties of densely packed confined hard-sphere fluids. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:012612. [PMID: 32795038 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.012612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Numerical solutions of the mode-coupling theory (MCT) equations for a hard-sphere fluid confined between two parallel hard walls are elaborated. The governing equations feature multiple parallel relaxation channels which significantly complicate their numerical integration. We investigate the intermediate scattering functions and the susceptibility spectra close to structural arrest and compare to an asymptotic analysis of the MCT equations. We corroborate that the data converge in the β-scaling regime to two asymptotic power laws, viz. the critical decay and the von Schweidler law. The numerical results reveal a nonmonotonic dependence of the power-law exponents on the slab width and a nontrivial kink in the low-frequency susceptibility spectra. We also find qualitative agreement of these theoretical results to event-driven molecular dynamics simulations of polydisperse hard-sphere systems. In particular, the nontrivial dependence of the dynamical properties on the slab width is well reproduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Jung
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michele Caraglio
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lukas Schrack
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Franosch
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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28
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Huang X, Thees MF, Size WB, Roth CB. Experimental study of substrate roughness on the local glass transition of polystyrene. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:244901. [PMID: 32610987 DOI: 10.1063/5.0011380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Huang
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Michael F. Thees
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - William B. Size
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Connie B. Roth
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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29
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Experimental evidence on the effect of substrate roughness on segmental dynamics of confined polymer films. POLYMER 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.122501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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30
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Kooi BJ, Wuttig M. Chalcogenides by Design: Functionality through Metavalent Bonding and Confinement. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e1908302. [PMID: 32243014 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201908302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A unified picture of different application areas for incipient metals is presented. This unconventional material class includes several main-group chalcogenides, such as GeTe, PbTe, Sb2 Te3 , Bi2 Se3 , AgSbTe2 and Ge2 Sb2 Te5 . These compounds and related materials show a unique portfolio of physical properties. A novel map is discussed, which helps to explain these properties and separates the different fundamental bonding mechanisms (e.g., ionic, metallic, and covalent). The map also provides evidence for an unconventional, new bonding mechanism, coined metavalent bonding (MVB). Incipient metals, employing this bonding mechanism, also show a special bond breaking mechanism. MVB differs considerably from resonant bonding encountered in benzene or graphite. The concept of MVB is employed to explain the unique properties of materials utilizing it. Then, the link is made from fundamental insights to application-relevant properties, crucial for the use of these materials as thermoelectrics, phase change materials, topological insulators or as active photonic components. The close relationship of the materials' properties and their application potential provides optimization schemes for different applications. Finally, evidence will be presented that for metavalently bonded materials interesting effects arise in reduced dimensions. In particular, the consequences for the crystallization kinetics of thin films and nanoparticles will be discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart J Kooi
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG, the Netherlands
| | - Matthias Wuttig
- Institute of Physics IA, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 52074, Germany
- JARA-Institute: Energy-Efficient Information Technology (Green IT), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52428, Germany
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31
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Phan AD, Schweizer KS. Theory of Spatial Gradients of Relaxation, Vitrification Temperature and Fragility of Glass-Forming Polymer Liquids Near Solid Substrates. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:448-453. [PMID: 35648500 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
We employ a new force-level statistical mechanical theory to predict spatial gradients of the structural relaxation time and Tg of polymer liquids near microscopically rough and smooth hard surfaces and contrast the results with vapor interface systems. Repulsive rough (smooth) surfaces induce large slowing down (modest speeding up) of the relaxation time compared to the bulk. Nevertheless, a remarkable degree of universality of distinctive dynamical behaviors is predicted for different polymer chemistries and all interfaces, including a double exponential form of the alpha time gradient, power law decoupling of the relaxation time from its bulk value with exponential spatial variation of the exponent, exponential spatial gradient of Tg, weak dependence of normalized Tg gradients on vitrification criterion, and near linear growth with cooling of the slowed down layer thickness near a rough hard interface. The results appear consistent with simulations and experiments, and multiple testable predictions are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh D. Phan
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Phenikaa Institute for Advanced Study, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
- Faculty of Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 12116, Vietnam
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32
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Schweizer KS, Simmons DS. Progress towards a phenomenological picture and theoretical understanding of glassy dynamics and vitrification near interfaces and under nanoconfinement. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:240901. [PMID: 31893888 DOI: 10.1063/1.5129405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of alterations to dynamics and vitrification in the nanoscale vicinity of interfaces-commonly referred to as "nanoconfinement" effects on the glass transition-has been an open question for a quarter century. We first analyze experimental and simulation results over the last decade to construct an overall phenomenological picture. Key features include the following: after a metrology- and chemistry-dependent onset, near-interface relaxation times obey a fractional power law decoupling relation with bulk relaxation; relaxation times vary in a double-exponential manner with distance from the interface, with an intrinsic dynamical length scale appearing to saturate at low temperatures; the activation barrier and vitrification temperature Tg approach bulk behavior in a spatially exponential manner; and all these behaviors depend quantitatively on the nature of the interface. We demonstrate that the thickness dependence of film-averaged Tg for individual systems provides a poor basis for discrimination between different theories, and thus we assess their merits based on the above dynamical gradient properties. Entropy-based theories appear to exhibit significant inconsistencies with the phenomenology. Diverse free-volume-motivated theories vary in their agreement with observations, with approaches invoking cooperative motion exhibiting the most promise. The elastically cooperative nonlinear Langevin equation theory appears to capture the largest portion of the phenomenology, although important aspects remain to be addressed. A full theoretical understanding requires improved confrontation with simulations and experiments that probe spatially heterogeneous dynamics within the accessible 1-ps to 1-year time window, minimal use of adjustable parameters, and recognition of the rich quantitative dependence on chemistry and interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Schweizer
- Departments of Materials Science, Chemistry and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - David S Simmons
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
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33
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Tanis I, Karatasos K, Salez T. Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Capillary Leveling of a Glass-Forming Liquid. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:8543-8549. [PMID: 31532672 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b05909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Motivated by recent experimental studies probing (i) the existence of a mobile layer at the free surface of glasses and (ii) the capillary leveling of polymer nanofilms, we study the evolution of square-wave patterns at the free surface of a generic glass-forming binary Lennard-Jones mixture over a wide temperature range, by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The pattern's amplitude is monitored, and the associated decay rate is extracted. The evolution of the latter as a function of temperature exhibits a crossover between two distinct behaviors, over a temperature range typically bounded by the glass-transition temperature and the mode-coupling critical temperature. Layer-resolved analysis of the film particles' mean-squared displacements further shows that diffusion at the surface is considerably faster than in the bulk, below the glass-transition temperature. The diffusion coefficient of the surface particles is larger than its bulk counterpart by a factor that reaches 105 at the lowest temperature studied. This factor decreases upon heating, in agreement with recent experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Tanis
- Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie Théorique, UMR CNRS Gulliver 7083, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University , 75005 Paris , France
| | - Kostas Karatasos
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering , Aristotle University of Thessaloniki , 54124 Thessaloniki , Greece.,Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser , Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas , P.O. Box 1527, 711 10 Heraklion Crete , Greece
| | - Thomas Salez
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, LOMA, UMR 5798 , F-33405 Talence , France.,Global Station for Soft Matter, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education , Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Hokkaido 060-0808 , Japan
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34
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Phan AD, Schweizer KS. Influence of Longer Range Transfer of Vapor Interface Modified Caging Constraints on the Spatially Heterogeneous Dynamics of Glass-Forming Liquids. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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35
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Horstmann R, P Sanjon E, Drossel B, Vogel M. Effects of confinement on supercooled tetrahedral liquids. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:214704. [PMID: 31176331 DOI: 10.1063/1.5095198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We use molecular dynamics simulations to ascertain the effects of geometrical restriction on glass-forming tetrahedral liquids. Striving for a broad approach, we study families of waterlike and silicalike liquids, for which we systematically scale the partial charges and, hence, the relevance of the tetrahedral networks. The confined liquids and the confining matrices consist of the same type of particles to avoid disruptive interactions and distorted structures at the interfaces. Spatially resolved analyses show that these neutral confinements still impose static mobility gradients and density correlations on the liquids. We quantify the increasing degree and range of the altered properties upon cooling. For both families of models, common relations describe the confinement effects of all systems with tetrahedral order, while deviations occur for systems with lower polarities and different structures. The observations are rationalized by considering the fact that a pinned wall imprints a static energy landscape to a neighboring liquid. We explore the properties of this landscape based on changes in vibrational motion and structural relaxation and find that typical barrier heights amount to two to three times the activation energy of bulk dynamics. Combining the present and previous results, we predict the evolution of confinement effects down to the glass transition temperature for liquids without fragile-to-strong crossover. In addition, it is found for silicalike liquids that the temperature dependence of dynamic and static correlation lengths from confinement studies is not affected when cooling through fragile-to-strong transitions of the bulk materials, casting doubt on the relevance of these length scales for the glassy slowdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Horstmann
- Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - E P Sanjon
- Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - B Drossel
- Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Vogel
- Institut für Festkörperphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
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36
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Phan AD, Schweizer KS. Theory of the spatial transfer of interface-nucleated changes of dynamical constraints and its consequences in glass-forming films. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:044508. [PMID: 30709240 DOI: 10.1063/1.5079250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We formulate a new theory for how caging constraints in glass-forming liquids at a surface or interface are modified and then spatially transferred, in a layer-by-layer bootstrapped manner, into the film interior in the context of the dynamic free energy concept of the Nonlinear Langevin Equation (NLE) theory approach. The dynamic free energy at any mean location (cage center) involves contributions from two adjacent layers where confining forces are not the same. At the most fundamental level of the theory, the caging component of the dynamic free energy varies essentially exponentially with distance from the interface, saturating deep enough into the film with a correlation length of modest size and weak sensitivity to the thermodynamic state. This imparts a roughly exponential spatial variation of all the key features of the dynamic free energy required to compute gradients of dynamical quantities including the localization length, jump distance, cage barrier, collective elastic barrier, and alpha relaxation time. The spatial gradients are entirely of dynamical, not structural or thermodynamic, origin. The theory is implemented for the hard sphere fluid and diverse interfaces which can be a vapor, a rough pinned particle solid, a vibrating (softened) pinned particle solid, or a smooth hard wall. Their basic description at the level of the spatially heterogeneous dynamic free energy is identical, with the crucial difference arising from the first layer where dynamical constraints can be weakened, softened, or hardly changed depending on the specific interface. Numerical calculations establish the spatial dependence and fluid volume fraction sensitivity of the key dynamical property gradients for five different model interfaces. A comparison of the theoretical predictions for the dynamic localization length and glassy modulus with simulations and experiments for systems with a vapor interface reveals good agreement. The present advance sets the stage for using the Elastically Collective NLE theory to make quantitative predictions for the alpha relaxation time gradient, decoupling phenomena, Tg gradient, and many film-averaged properties of both model and experimental (colloids, molecules, and polymers) systems with diverse interfaces and chemical makeup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh D Phan
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Kenneth S Schweizer
- Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Abstract
Nano-confined phase change memory cells based on pure Sb have been electrically characterized.
The market launch of Intel’s 3D XPoint™ proves phase change technology has grown mature. Besides storing information in a fast and non-volatile way, phase change memories (PCMs) may facilitate neuromorphic and in-memory computing. In order to establish PCM as a lasting element of the electronics ecosystem, scalability to future technology nodes needs to be assured. Continued miniaturization of PCM devices is not only prescribed in order to achieve memories with higher data density and neuromorphic hardware capable of processing larger amounts of information. Smaller PCM elements are also incentivized by the prospect of increased power efficiency per operation as less material needs to be heated up for switching. For this reason, a good understanding of the effects of confinement on phase change materials is crucial. Here we describe how miniaturization increases the importance of interface effects and we show how in consequence the crystallization kinetics of phase change materials, when confined into nanometer sized structures, can change significantly. Based on this analysis, the implications of such nanoscale effects are discussed and possible ways of exploiting them proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Kersting
- Institute of Physics (IA), Physics of New Materials, RWTH Aachen University, Sommerfeldstr. 14, Aachen 52074, Germany.
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38
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Lam CH. Deeper penetration of surface effects on particle mobility than on hopping rate in glassy polymer films. J Chem Phys 2018; 149:164909. [PMID: 30384677 DOI: 10.1063/1.5052659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hang Lam
- Department of Applied Physics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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39
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Royall CP, Turci F, Tatsumi S, Russo J, Robinson J. The race to the bottom: approaching the ideal glass? JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2018; 30:363001. [PMID: 29972145 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aad10a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Key to resolving the scientific challenge of the glass transition is to understand the origin of the massive increase in viscosity of liquids cooled below their melting temperature (avoiding crystallisation). A number of competing and often mutually exclusive theoretical approaches have been advanced to describe this phenomenon. Some posit a bona fide thermodynamic phase to an 'ideal glass', an amorphous state with exceptionally low entropy. Other approaches are built around the concept of the glass transition as a primarily dynamic phenomenon. These fundamentally different interpretations give equally good descriptions of the data available, so it is hard to determine which-if any-is correct. Recently however this situation has begun to change. A consensus has emerged that one powerful means to resolve this longstanding question is to approach the putative thermodynamic transition sufficiently closely, and a number of techniques have emerged to meet this challenge. Here we review the results of some of these new techniques and discuss the implications for the existence-or otherwise-of the thermodynamic transition to an ideal glass.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Patrick Royall
- HH Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TL, United Kingdom. School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom. Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1FD, United Kingdom
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40
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Varadarajan V, Dasgupta C, Ayappa KG. Influence of surface commensurability on the structure and relaxation dynamics of a confined monatomic fluid. J Chem Phys 2018; 149:064503. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5031422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vadhana Varadarajan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Chandan Dasgupta
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - K. G. Ayappa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
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41
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Salinga M, Kersting B, Ronneberger I, Jonnalagadda VP, Vu XT, Le Gallo M, Giannopoulos I, Cojocaru-Mirédin O, Mazzarello R, Sebastian A. Monatomic phase change memory. NATURE MATERIALS 2018; 17:681-685. [PMID: 29915424 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-018-0110-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Phase change memory has been developed into a mature technology capable of storing information in a fast and non-volatile way1-3, with potential for neuromorphic computing applications4-6. However, its future impact in electronics depends crucially on how the materials at the core of this technology adapt to the requirements arising from continued scaling towards higher device densities. A common strategy to fine-tune the properties of phase change memory materials, reaching reasonable thermal stability in optical data storage, relies on mixing precise amounts of different dopants, resulting often in quaternary or even more complicated compounds6-8. Here we show how the simplest material imaginable, a single element (in this case, antimony), can become a valid alternative when confined in extremely small volumes. This compositional simplification eliminates problems related to unwanted deviations from the optimized stoichiometry in the switching volume, which become increasingly pressing when devices are aggressively miniaturized9,10. Removing compositional optimization issues may allow one to capitalize on nanosize effects in information storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Salinga
- IBM Research-Zurich, Rüschlikon, Switzerland.
- RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Benedikt Kersting
- IBM Research-Zurich, Rüschlikon, Switzerland
- RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ider Ronneberger
- IBM Research-Zurich, Rüschlikon, Switzerland
- RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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42
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Geske J, Harrach M, Heckmann L, Horstmann R, Klameth F, Müller N, Pafong E, Wohlfromm T, Drossel B, Vogel M. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Water, Silica, and Aqueous Mixtures in Bulk and Confinement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/zpch-2017-1042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Aqueous systems are omnipresent in nature and technology. They show complex behaviors, which often originate in the existence of hydrogen-bond networks. Prominent examples are the anomalies of water and the non-ideal behaviors of aqueous solutions. The phenomenology becomes even richer when aqueous liquids are subject to confinement. To this day, many properties of water and its mixtures, in particular, under confinement, are not understood. In recent years, molecular dynamics simulations developed into a powerful tool to improve our knowledge in this field. Here, our simulation results for water and aqueous mixtures in the bulk and in various confinements are reviewed and some new simulation data are added to improve our knowledge about the role of interfaces. Moreover, findings for water are compared with results for silica, exploiting that both systems form tetrahedral networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Geske
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Michael Harrach
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Lotta Heckmann
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Robin Horstmann
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Felix Klameth
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Niels Müller
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Elvira Pafong
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Timothy Wohlfromm
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Barbara Drossel
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
| | - Michael Vogel
- Institut für Festkörperphysik , Technische Universität Darmstadt, Hochschulstr. 6 , 64289 Darmstadt , Germany
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43
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Solar M, Binder K, Paul W. Relaxation processes and glass transition of confined polymer melts: A molecular dynamics simulation of 1,4-polybutadiene between graphite walls. J Chem Phys 2018; 146:203308. [PMID: 28571361 DOI: 10.1063/1.4975390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of a chemically realistic model for 1,4-polybutadiene in a thin film geometry confined by two graphite walls are presented. Previous work on melts in the bulk has shown that the model faithfully reproduces static and dynamic properties of the real material over a wide temperature range. The present work studies how these properties change due to nano-confinement. The focus is on orientational correlations observable in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and on the local intermediate incoherent neutron scattering function, Fs(qz, z, t), for distances z from the graphite walls in the range of a few nanometers. Temperatures from about 2Tg down to about 1.15Tg, where Tg is the glass transition temperature in the bulk, are studied. It is shown that weakly attractive forces between the wall atoms and the monomers suffice to effectively bind a polymer coil that is near the wall. For a wide regime of temperatures, the Arrhenius-like adsorption/desorption kinetics of the monomers is the slowest process, while very close to Tg the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann-like α-relaxation takes over. The α-process is modified only for z≤1.2 nm due to the density changes near the walls, less than expected from studies of coarse-grained (bead-spring-type) models. The weakness of the surface effects on the glass transition in this case is attributed to the interplay of density changes near the wall with the torsional potential. A brief discussion of pertinent experiments is given.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Solar
- Institut Charles Sadron, Université Strasbourg, F-67034 Strasbourg, France
| | - K Binder
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, D-55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - W Paul
- Institut für Physik, Martin Luther-Universität, D-06099 Halle, Germany
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44
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Configuration correlation governs slow dynamics of supercooled metallic liquids. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6375-6380. [PMID: 29866833 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1802300115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of dramatic slowing down of dynamics in metallic glass-forming liquids toward their glass transition temperatures is a fundamental but unresolved issue. Through extensive molecular dynamics simulations, here we show that, contrary to the previous beliefs, it is not local geometrical orderings extracted from instantaneous configurations but the intrinsic correlation between configurations that captures the structural origin governing slow dynamics. More significantly, it is demonstrated by scaling analyses that it is the correlation length extracted from configuration correlation rather than dynamic correlation lengths that is the key to determine the drastic slowdown of supercooled metallic liquids. The key role of the configuration correlation established here sheds important light on the structural origin of the mysterious glass transition and provides an essential piece of the puzzle for the development of a universal theoretical understanding of glass transition in glasses.
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45
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Cao C, Huang X, Roth CB, Weeks ER. Aging near rough and smooth boundaries in colloidal glasses. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:224505. [PMID: 29246077 DOI: 10.1063/1.5000445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We use a confocal microscope to study the aging of a bidisperse colloidal glass near rough and smooth boundaries. Near smooth boundaries, the particles form layers, and particle motion is dramatically slower near the boundary as compared to the bulk. Near rough boundaries, the layers nearly vanish, and particle motion is nearly identical to that of the bulk. The gradient in dynamics near the boundaries is demonstrated to be a function of the gradient in structure for both types of boundaries. Our observations show that wall-induced layer structures strongly influence aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Cao
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Xinru Huang
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Connie B Roth
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
| | - Eric R Weeks
- Department of Physics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA
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46
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Wang YL, Li B, Sarman S, Laaksonen A. Microstructures and dynamics of tetraalkylphosphonium chloride ionic liquids. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:224502. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4995003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Lei Wang
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Bin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Nanosystem and Hierarchy Fabrication, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Sten Sarman
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Aatto Laaksonen
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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47
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Härtel A. Structure of electric double layers in capacitive systems and to what extent (classical) density functional theory describes it. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2017; 29:423002. [PMID: 28898203 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/aa8342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing scientific interest is aimed at the properties and structure of electric double layers (EDLs), which are crucial for capacitive energy storage, water treatment, and energy harvesting technologies like supercapacitors, desalination devices, blue engines, and thermocapacitive heat-to-current converters. A promising tool to describe their physics on a microscopic level is (classical) density functional theory (DFT), which can be applied in order to analyze pair correlations and charge ordering in the primitive model of charged hard spheres. This simple model captures the main properties of ionic liquids and solutions and it predicts many of the phenomena that occur in EDLs. The latter often lead to anomalous response in the differential capacitance of EDLs. This work constructively reviews the powerful theoretical framework of DFT and its recent developments regarding the description of EDLs. It explains to what extent current approaches in DFT describe structural ordering and in-plane transitions in EDLs, which occur when the corresponding electrodes are charged. Further, the review briefly summarizes the history of modeling EDLs, presents applications, and points out limitations and strengths in present theoretical approaches. It concludes that DFT as a sophisticated microscopic theory for ionic systems is expecting a challenging but promising future in both fundamental research and applications in supercapacitive technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Härtel
- Institute of Physics, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Str. 3, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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48
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Mei B, Wang Z, Lu Y, Li H, An L. Point-to-set dynamic length scale in binary Lennard-Jones glass-formers. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:114507. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4986597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Baicheng Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongfei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lijia An
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, People’s Republic of China
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49
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Mandal S, Lang S, Boţan V, Franosch T. Nonergodicity parameters of confined hard-sphere glasses. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:6167-6177. [PMID: 28796271 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm00905d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Within a recently developed mode-coupling theory for fluids confined to a slit we elaborate numerical results for the long-time limits of suitably generalized intermediate scattering functions. The theory requires as input the density profile perpendicular to the plates, which we obtain from density functional theory within the fundamental-measure framework, as well as symmetry-adapted static structure factors, which can be calculated relying on the inhomogeneous Percus-Yevick closure. Our calculations for the nonergodicity parameters for both the collective as well as for the self motion are in qualitative agreement with our extensive event-driven molecular dynamics simulations for the intermediate scattering functions for slightly polydisperse hard-sphere systems at high packing fraction. We show that the variation of the nonergodicity parameters as a function of the wavenumber correlates with the in-plane static structure factors, while subtle effects become apparent in the structure factors and relaxation times of higher mode indices. A criterion to predict the multiple reentrant from the variation of the in-plane static structure is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suvendu Mandal
- Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
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50
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Napolitano S, Sferrazza M. How irreversible adsorption affects interfacial properties of polymers. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2017; 247:172-177. [PMID: 28202131 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Growing experimental evidence shows that the behavior of polymer chains confined at the nanoscale level strongly depends on the degree of adsorption correlated to the number density of monomers pinned onto the supporting substrate. In this contribution, after introducing the physics behind the mechanisms of irreversible adsorption, we review recent experimental observations on how adsorption affects properties of polymer melts confined in 1D, focusing on those related to the thermal glass transition, maximum water uptake, viscosity and crystallization. These findings strongly support a new physical framework of confined soft matter, not trivially limited to finite size effects and interfacial interactions, but also enriched by non-equilibrium phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Napolitano
- Laboratory of Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bâtiment NO, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium.
| | - Michele Sferrazza
- Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Bruxelles 1050, Belgium
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