Falkowska M, Bowron DT, Manyar H, Youngs TGA, Hardacre C. Confinement Effects on the Benzene Orientational Structure.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018;
57:4565-4570. [PMID:
29446870 PMCID:
PMC6099463 DOI:
10.1002/anie.201713115]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Liquids under confinement exhibit different properties compared with their corresponding bulk phases, for example, miscibility, phase transitions, and diffusion. The underlying cause is the local ordering of molecules, which is usually only studied using pure simulation methods. Herein, we derive experimentally the structure of benzene confined in MCM-41 using total neutron scattering measurements. The study reveals a layering of molecules across a pore, and four concentric cylindrical shells can be distinguished for a pore with the radius of 18 Å. The nanoscale confinement of the liquid has a major effect on the spatial and orientational correlations observed between the molecules, when compared with the structure of the bulk liquid. These differences are most marked for molecules in parallel configurations, and this suggests differences in chemical reactivity between the confined and bulk liquids.
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