Debye Type Dielectric Relaxation and the Glass Transition of Alcohols

Designing Advanced Amorphous/Nanocrystalline Alloys by Controlling the Energy State

Amorphous alloys, also known as metallic glasses, exhibit many advanced mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Owing to the nonequilibrium nature, their energy states can vary over a wide range. However, the energy relaxation kinetics are very complex and composed of various types that are coupled with each other. This makes it challenging to control the energy state precisely and to study the energy-properties relationship. This brief review introduces the recent progresses on studying the enthalpy relaxation kinetics during isothermal annealing, for example, the observation of two-step relaxation phenomenon, the detection of relaxation unit (relaxun), the key role of large activation entropy in triggering memory effect, the influence of glass energy state on nanocrystallization. Based on the above knowledge, a new strategy is proposed to design a series of amorphous alloys and their composites consisting of nanocrystals and glass matrix with superior functional properties by precisely controlling the nonequilibrium energy states. As the typical examples, Fe-based amorphous alloys with both advanced soft magnetism and good plasticity, Gd-based amorphous/nanocrystalline composites with large magnetocaloric effect, and Fe-based amorphous alloys with high catalytic performance are specifically described.

On the relationship between the Debye process in dielectric response and a dissociation-association phenomenon in phenyl alcohols

In this paper, we have examined a series of phenyl-substituted primary monohydroxy alcohols (phenyl alcohols, PhAs), from ethanol to hexanol by means of dielectric and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies supported by the mechanical investigations. The combination of both dielectric and mechanical data allows calculation of the energy barrier, E_a, for dissociation by the Rubinstein approach developed to describe the dynamical properties of self-assembling macromolecules. It was observed that the determined activation energy remains constant, |E_a,RM| ∼ 12.9-14.2 kJ mol^-1, regardless of the molecular weight of the examined material. Surprisingly, the obtained values agree very well with E_a of the dissociation process determined from the FTIR data analysed within the van't Hoff relationship, where E_a,vH ∼ 9.13-13.64 kJ mol^-1. Thus, the observed agreement between E_a determined by both applied approaches clearly implies that in the case of the examined series of PhAs, the dielectric Debye-like process is governed by the association-dissociation phenomenon as proposed by the transient chain model.

Nonrotational Mechanism of Polarization in Alcohols

Chemical polarity governs various mechanical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of dielectrics. Polar liquids have been amply studied, yet the basic mechanisms underpinning their dielectric properties remain not fully understood, as standard models following Debye's phenomenological approach do not account for quantum effects and cannot aptly reproduce the full dc-up-to-THz spectral range. Here, using the illustrative case of monohydric alcohols, we show that deep tunneling and the consequent intermolecular separation of excess protons and "proton-holes" in the polar liquids govern their static and dynamic dielectric properties on the same footing. We performed systematic ultrabroadband (0-10 THz) spectroscopy experiments with monohydric alcohols of different (0.4-1.6 nm) molecular lengths and show that the finite lifetime of molecular species and the proton-hole correlation length are the two principle parameters responsible for the dielectric response of all the studied alcohols across the entire frequency range. Our results demonstrate that a quantum nonrotational intermolecular mechanism drives the polarization in alcohols while the rotational mechanism of molecular polarization plays a secondary role, manifesting itself in the sub-terahertz region only.

Entropic Nature of the Debye Relaxation in Glass-Forming Monoalcohols

The dynamics and thermodynamics of the Debye and structural (α) relaxations in isomeric monoalcohols near the glass transition temperature T_g are explored using dielectric and calorimetric techniques. The α relaxation strength at T_g is found to correlate with the heat capacity increment, but no thermal signals can be detected to link to the Debye relaxation. We also observed that the activation energy of the Debye relaxation in monoalcohols is quantitatively correlated with that of the α relaxation at the kinetic T_g, sharing the dynamic behavior of the Rouse modes found in polymers. The experimental results together with the analogy to the Rouse modes in polymers suggest that the Debye process in monoalcohols is an entropic process manifested by the total dipole fluctuation of the supramolecular structures, which is triggered and driven by the α relaxation.

Molecular mobility of amorphous N-acetyl-α-methylbenzylamine and Debye relaxation evidenced by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular mobility of NAC-MBA molecule is described by means of DRS, FSC and MD simulations.

Dynamics of supercooled liquid and plastic crystalline ethanol: Dielectric relaxation and AC nanocalorimetry distinguish structural α- and Debye relaxation processes

Physical vapor deposition has been used to prepare glasses of ethanol. Upon heating, the glasses transformed into the supercooled liquid phase and then crystallized into the plastic crystal phase. The dynamic glass transition of the supercooled liquid is successfully measured by AC nanocalorimetry, and preliminary results for the plastic crystal are obtained. The frequency dependences of these dynamic glass transitions observed by AC nanocalorimetry are in disagreement with conclusions from previously published dielectric spectra of ethanol. Existing dielectric loss spectra have been carefully re-evaluated considering a Debye peak, which is a typical feature in the dielectric loss spectra of monohydroxy alcohols. The re-evaluated dielectric fits reveal a prominent dielectric Debye peak, a smaller and asymmetrically broadened peak, which is identified as the signature of the structural α-relaxation and a Johari-Goldstein secondary relaxation process. This new assignment of the dielectric processes is supported by the observation that the AC nanocalorimetry dynamic glass transition temperature, T_α, coincides with the dielectric structural α-relaxation process rather than the Debye process. The combined results from dielectric spectroscopy and AC nanocalorimetry on the plastic crystal of ethanol suggest the occurrence of a Debye process also in the plastic crystal phase.

Associating Imidazoles: Elucidating the Correlation between the Static Dielectric Permittivity and Proton Conductivity

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy is employed to investigate the impact of supramolecular structure on charge transport and dynamics in hydrogen-bonded 2-ethyl-4-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole. Detailed analyses reveal (i) an inverse relationship between the average supramolecular chain length and proton conductivity and (ii) no direct correlation between the static dielectric permittivity and proton conductivity in imidazoles. These findings raise fundamental questions regarding the widespread notion that extended supramolecular hydrogen-bonded networks facilitate proton conduction in hydrogen bonding materials.

A comparative study of ibuprofen and ketoprofen glass-forming liquids by molecular dynamics simulations

In this paper, structural and dynamical properties of ibuprofen and ketoprofen glass-forming liquids have been investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular mobility of both materials is analyzed with respect to the different inter-molecular linear/cyclic hydrogen bonding associations. For ibuprofen, the dominant organization is found to be composed of small hydrogen bonding aggregates corresponding to cyclic dimers through the carboxyl group. For ketoprofen, the propensity of cyclic dimers is significantly reduced by the formation of hydrogen bonds with the ketone oxygen of the molecule altering the hydrogen bond (HB) associating structures that can be formed and thus molecular dynamics. The issue of the presence/absence of the peculiar low frequency Debye-type process in dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) data in these materials is addressed. Results obtained from simulations confirm that the Debye process originates from the internal cis-trans conversion of the -COOH carboxyl group. It is shown that the specific intermolecular HB structures associated to a given profen control the main dynamical features of this conversion, in particular its separation from the α-process, which make it detectable or not from DRS. For ibuprofen, the possible role of the -CCCO torsion motion, more "local" than the -COOH motion since it is less influenced by the intermolecular HBs, is suggested in the microscopic origin of the quite intense secondary γ-relaxation process detected from DRS.

Evidence of slow Debye-like relaxation in the anti-inflammatory agent etoricoxib

The origin of Debye-like relaxation in some hydrogen-bonded liquids is a matter of hot debate over the past decade. While a relatively clear picture of the issue has been established for monohydroxy alcohols, the Debye-type dynamics in other glass-forming systems still remains a not fully understood phenomenon. In this paper we present the results of dielectric measurements performed in the frequency interval 10(-1) to 10(9)Hz, both in the supercooled and normal liquid state of etoricoxib anti-inflammatory agent. Our investigations reveal the presence of slow Debye-like relaxation with features similar to that found for another active pharmaceutical ingredient, ibuprofen. Our results provide a fresh insight into the molecular nature of Debye-type relaxation in H-bonded pharmaceutically relevant materials and thus may stimulate the academic community for further discussion concerning the molecular dynamics of hydrogen-bonded fluids in general.

Dielectric relaxation of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol around the glass transition by thermally stimulated depolarization currents

We explore new routes for characterizing the Debye-like and α relaxation in 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H) monoalcohol by using low frequency dielectric techniques including thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) techniques and isothermal depolarization current methods. In this way, we have improved the resolution of the overlapped processes making it possible the analysis of the data in terms of a mode composition as expected for a chain-like response. Furthermore the explored ultralow frequencies enabled to study dynamics at relatively low temperatures close to the glass transition (Tg). Results show, on the one hand, that Debye-like and α relaxation timescales dramatically approach to each other upon decreasing temperature to Tg. On the other hand, the analysis of partial polarization TSDC data confirms the single exponential character of the Debye-like relaxation in 2E1H and rules out the presence of Rouse type modes in the scenario of a chain-like response. Finally, on crossing the glass transition, the Debye-like relaxation shows non-equilibrium effects which are further emphasized by aging treatment and would presumably emerge as a result of the arrest of the structural relaxation below Tg.

Unveiling the dependence of glass transitions on mixing thermodynamics in miscible systems

The dependence of the glass transition in mixtures on mixing thermodynamics is examined by focusing on enthalpy of mixing, ΔH_mix with the change in sign (positive vs. negative) and magnitude (small vs. large). The effects of positive and negative ΔH_mix are demonstrated based on two isomeric systems of o- vs. m- methoxymethylbenzene (MMB) and o- vs. m- dibromobenzene (DBB) with comparably small absolute ΔH_mix. Two opposite composition dependences of the glass transition temperature, T_g, are observed with the MMB mixtures showing a distinct negative deviation from the ideal mixing rule and the DBB mixtures having a marginally positive deviation. The system of 1, 2- propanediamine (12PDA) vs. propylene glycol (PG) with large and negative ΔH_mix is compared with the systems of small ΔH_mix, and a considerably positive T_g shift is seen. Models involving the properties of pure components such as T_g, glass transition heat capacity increment, ΔC_p, and density, ρ, do not interpret the observed T_g shifts in the systems. In contrast, a linear correlation is revealed between ΔH_mix and maximum T_g shifts.

Dynamics of glass-forming liquids. XVII. Dielectric relaxation and intermolecular association in a series of isomeric octyl alcohols

It is well established that many mono-hydroxy alcohols show an extra relaxation process of the Debye type in addition to the signatures of primary and secondary structural relaxations, which is observed only in dielectric spectroscopy and related techniques. In order to gain further insight into the nature of this Debye peak, we study the linear and nonlinear dielectric behavior of a series of isomeric octyl alcohols and of mixtures of n-propanol with one of the octanols. These samples display systematic variations of the Debye peak intensity and concomitant changes in the Kirkwood correlation factor gK from 0.1 to 4, indicative of different equilibrium constants, K(c∕r), that characterize the populations of non-polar ring and polar open chain structures. For cases where K(c∕r) is not too far from unity, we find that a high electric field shifts K(c∕r) towards more chains, and that the accompanying change in the end-to-end vector of hydrogen-bond connected structures occurs on the Debye time scale. The results suggest that gK is correlated with the spectral separation of the Debye and primary structural peaks, as both features depend on steric hindrance of chain flexibility or bond rotation barriers and on average chain lengths. Based on the complex dynamics of supercooled mono-hydroxy alcohols with three relaxation peaks that cover many orders of magnitude in frequency, it is argued that a frequency dependent gK may be required for assessing the average orientational correlations within hydrogen-bonded structures correctly.

On a different approach toward low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy measurements of conductive liquids

Driven by recent interest in the low-frequency Debye-like relaxations in hydrogen bonding liquids, here we present an alternative method for measuring such relaxations without the detrimental effects of ionic conductivity or electrode polarization. Glycerol was chosen as a molecule of interest, and a fit for the α-transition using the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation was found to be τ = 2.31 × 10(-14) exp(2110 K∕[T-135 K]). This method is easily adaptable by most laboratories with existing dielectric spectrometers, and could prove useful in the accurate measurement of relaxations in conductive media at low frequencies. A brief summary of comparable techniques is also presented.

Dynamics of glass-forming liquids. XIV. A search for ultraslow dielectric relaxation in glycerol

A recent dielectric study of various polyalcohols reported on the general occurrence of an ultraslow process with Debye type character in hydrogen bonded liquids [R. Bergman, H. Jansson, and J. Swenson, J. Chem. Phys. 132, 044504 (2010)], whereas previous work suggested that such behavior is specific to monoalcohols only. Clarifying this issue is highly relevant for assessing models aimed at rationalizing these modes that are slower than the primary structural relaxation and associated with a single time constant. To this end, the dielectric relaxation of glycerol is measured at different electrode distances with high accuracy. In this manner, electrode polarization can be separated from the dielectric signals intrinsic in the supercooled liquid. In the frequency range below the loss peak frequency omega(max) of the alpha-process, only dc-conductivity is required to understand the dielectric properties of supercooled glycerol within a margin of epsilon(") approximately +/-0.1 and thus no indication of an ultraslow peak is found. More quantitatively, any dielectric Debye like mode located around 10(-5)omega(max) would need to have an amplitude smaller than 0.4% of that of the primary dielectric process to be consistent with the present findings, in contrast to previous claims of >50%.

Two-channel impedance spectroscopy for the simultaneous measurement of two samples

We describe a dielectric relaxation technique, which allows one to obtain a very accurate comparison of the behavior of two different samples. The key feature is the simultaneous impedance measurement on two capacitors that can share a common center electrode, implying that the same voltage is applied to both samples and that only a single gain/phase analyzer is required. The capabilities of this technique have been examined by comparing the dynamics of protonated and deuterated 1-propanol samples using this dual-channel analyzer in the frequency range of 10(-2)-10(6) Hz and in the temperature range of 110-160 K, after calibrating the system using the same sample in both, channel 1 and channel 2. For many supercooled liquids, the high sensitivity of the dielectric relaxation behavior on temperature prevents a meaningful comparison of nearly identical dynamics on the basis of two separate measurements. Based on this dual-channel method, we observe that a deuterated 1-propanol sample displays small but systematic deviations from the relaxation spectra of its protonated counterpart, which would not be observable in separate dielectric measurements. Many other applications can be envisioned where simultaneous or differential impedance measurements are advantageous.

Kinetic fragility of binary and ternary glass forming liquid mixtures

The experimental studies of liquid fragility in miscible binary and ternary glass forming mixtures reveal a general observation of the negative deviation in fragility upon mixing from the linear average of those of the components. Further analyses from ideal, near ideal to non-ideal mixing modes show that the deviation magnitude does not increase monotonically with mixing enthalpy, and a moderate intermolecular interaction would generate a largest reduction in fragility. Four eutectic systems, methyl-o-toluate-methyl-p-toluate, ZnCl(2)-AlCl(3), glycerol-water, and fructose-water, are studied to locate the composition where the largest fragility deviation occurs in phase diagrams. It is found that the compositions with the fragility minima do not coincide with the eutectic points. The results partly explain the experimental observation that the best glass forming region is not located at the eutectic composition.

Hidden slow dynamics in water

It is well known that the structural and dynamical properties of water are of central importance for life on our planet. However, despite this knowledge its structural and dynamical properties are still far from fully understood. In this Letter we show for the first time that water exhibits an anomalously slow relaxation process, which is about 4 orders of magnitude slower than the viscosity-related structural main relaxation. This slow Debye-like process has previously only been observed in monoalcohols and more recently also in polyalcohols, and due to its slowness it is generally believed to be caused by some kind of collective motion of hydrogen-bonded structures. The new finding has important structural and dynamical implications for water.

Multiple Mechanical Relaxations in Ethylcyclohexane above the Glass Transition Temperature

The mechanical response of ethylcyclohexane has been investigated at ultrasonic frequencies in a large temperature range from 300 K down to the glass transition region. The results indicate the existence of a secondary relaxation not yet reported for this system. The comparison with literature data leads to a rather complex dynamic behavior. In fact, this molecular liquid exhibits three different mechanical relaxations above the glass transition temperature: a main structural process and two additional processes, both having a possible intramolecular origin.

Comparing calorimetric and dielectric polarization modes in viscous 2-ethyl-1-hexanol

Dielectric relaxation and dynamic heat capacity measurements are compared for 2-ethyl-1-hexanol near its glass transition temperature Tg in order to further clarify the origin of the prominent Debye-type loss peak observed in many monohydroxy alcohols and other hydrogen-bonding liquids. While the dielectric spectrum epsilon" displays two distinct polarization processes that are separated by a factor of 2000 in terms of the peak frequency, the heat capacity cp" shows only a single peak. The dielectric process with lower amplitude and higher peak frequency coincides with the calorimetric signal, whereas the large dielectric Debye signal is not associated with calorimetric modes. The authors conclude that the Debye process corresponds to a transition among states which differ in energy only in the case of an external electric field.

Glass Transition Dynamics and Boiling Temperatures of Molecular Liquids and Their Isomers

The relation between a dynamic and a thermodynamic temperature, glass transition Tg and boiling point Tb, is investigated for various glass-forming liquids, with emphasis on monohydroxy alcohols. As is well known, Tb and Tg are positively correlated across a large variety of liquids. However, we found that the same quantities show a negative correlation within an isomeric series, i.e., Tb decreases with increasing Tg for different isomers of the same chemical formula. For the alcohol series, CnH2n+1OH with 3 < or = n < or = 10, a master curve of the negative Tg - Tb correlation is obtained if the temperatures are normalized to the respective values of the n-alkanols. This Tg - Tb dependence of isomeric liquids is linked to entropic effects and responsible for much of the scatter of the correlation observed for a large number of molecular organic glass-formers with 45 < Tg < 250 K. Dielectric relaxation is measured for three groups of isomers: (a) 3-methoxyl-1-butanol and 2-iso-propoxyethanol, (b) 1,4-, 1,2-, and 2,4-pentanediol, and (c) di-n- and di-iso-butyl phthalate. Two key parameters of the dynamics, fragility m and stretching exponent beta, are found to be indistinguishable within isomers of moderately different Tgs. Larger fragility differences are readily expected with pronounced structural change, but no systematic trend is observed within an isomer series. The results provide a useful tool for assessing Tg, m, and beta for marginal glass formers on the basis of their isomers.

Fragility and thermodynamics in nonpolymeric glass-forming liquids

For nonpolymeric supercooled liquids, the empirical correlation m = 56Tg DeltaCp(Tg)/DeltaHm provides a reliable means of correlating dynamic and thermodynamic variables. The dynamics are characterized by the fragility or steepness index m and the glass transition temperature Tg, while thermodynamics enter in terms of the heat capacity step DeltaCp at Tg and the melting enthalpy DeltaHm. The combination of the above correlation with the 23 rule for the Tg/Tm ratio yields an expression, m = 40DeltaCp(Tg)/DeltaSm, which was rationalized as the correlation of the thermodynamic and kinetic fragilities. Defining a thermodynamic fragility via DeltaCp(Tg)/DeltaSm also reveals that the slopes in Kauzmann's original DeltaS(T)/DeltaSm versus T/Tm plot reflect the fragility concept [Chem. Rev. 43, 219 (1948)], so long as Tm/Tg = 1.5. For the many liquids whose excess heat capacity is a hyperbolic function of temperature, we deduce that the fragility cannot exceed m = 170, unless the Tg/Tm = 2/3 rule breaks down.

Dynamics of glass-forming liquids. XI. Fluctuating environments by dielectric spectroscopy

The dielectric relaxation of a 1 wt % mixture of di-n-butylether in 3-methylpentane has been measured across a range of eight decades, in which the characteristic relaxation time varies from 5 s to 50 ns. Each loss spectrum is a superposition of the dispersive solvent peak and a Debye peak which is one decade slower and readily assigned to the larger and more dipolar solute molecules. Fluctuating environments or rate exchange is made responsible for the Debye nature of probe rotation, implying that the environmental relaxation times fluctuate on time scales which are faster than the rotational correlation decay of the probe molecule. Within the experimental range from 2.2 s to 42 ns regarding the mean alpha-relaxation time, the results are consistent with the exchange time matching the upper limit of structural relaxation times or two to three times their average value. As T(g) is approached, no indication for a variation in exchange behavior or for slower environmental fluctuations is found.