Phase transitions nucleation-growth

Phase transitions of the PS-fo-PI system have been extensively studied. The morphological transition from the I phase to the G phase proceeds through nucleation and growth. The difference in the geometrical characteristics of these two phases induces considerable local distortion of both morphologies... 

Structural changes on surfaces can often be treated as first-order phase transitions rather than as adsorption process. Nucleation and growth of the new phase are reflected in current transients as well as dynamic STM studies. Nucleation-and-growth leads to so-called rising transients whereas mere adsorption usually results in a monotonously falling transient. In Fig. 10 are shown the current responses to potential steps across all four current peaks in the cyclic voltammogram of Fig. 8a [44], With the exception of peak A, all structural transitions yield rising current transients sug-... 

Ideally, MD or MC gives a complete description of the equilibrium states of liquids and crystals, and a molecular-level picture of any chemical process occurring within the system, including phase transitions. The limitations are obvious. The calculation is heavy, with some 5,000 molecules at most, and times or time-equivalents of the order of at most milliseconds. Force fields are by necessity restricted to atom-atom empirical ones. One gets at best a blurred and very short glimpse of the simulated process. And yet, appropriately designed molecular simulation is, for example, the only access to molecular aspects of chemical evolution involved in crystal nucleation and growth. 

Phase transitions in solids are also fruitfully classified on the basis of the mechanism. The important kinds of transitions normally encountered are (i) nucleation-and-growth transitions (ii) order-disorder transitions and (iii) martensitic transitions. 

Dynamic characteristics of -> phase transitions upon intercalation after application of an infinitely small potential step may include a slow process of -> nucleation and the growth of primary droplets of a new phase (more concentrated with the inserted ions) at the boundary with the solution electrolyte. After that, a continuous boundary of the new phase is formed, which moves into the host s interior in a diffusion-like manner. This process can be formally described in terms of a moving... 

The microstructure of the multiphase media is often the product of phase transitions, e.g. (i) capillary condensation in the porous media, (ii) phase separation in polymer/polymer and polymer/solvent systems, (iii) nucleation and growth of bubbles in the porous media, (iv) solidification of the melt with a temporal three-phase microstructure (solid, melt, gas), and (v) dissolution, crystallization or precipitation. The subject of our interest is not only the topology of the resulting microstructured media, but also the dynamics of its evolution involving the formation and/or growth of new phases. 

Von Laue s criterion is compatible with the mechanisms proposed here, assuming that the growth phase is a continuation of the nucleation process. While supersaturation is maintained, structuring in the fluid phase continues, but instead of turning into new embryos, the quasi-crystalline fragments that form in the fluid readily add on to existing crystal planes. The phase transition that starts with nucleation therefore continues until equilibrium between fluid and crystalline phases is reached. 

First theoretical interpretations of Me UPD by Rogers [3.7, 3.12], Nicholson [3.209, 3.210], and Schmidt [3.45] were based on an idealized adsorption model already developed by Herzfeld [3.211]. Later, Schmidt [3.54] used Guggenheim s interphase concept" [3.212, 3.213] to describe the thermodynamics of Me UPD processes. Schmidt, Lorenz, Staikov et al. [3.48, 3.57, 3.89-3.94, 3.100, 3.214, 3.215] and Schultze et al. [3.116-3.120, 3.216] used classical concepts to explain the kinetics of Me UPD and UPD-OPD transition processes including charge transfer, Meloiy bulk diffusion, and nucleation and growth phenomena. First and higher order phase transitions, which can participate in 2D Meads phase formation processes, were discussed controversially by various authors [3.36, 3.83, 3.84, 3.92-3.94, 3.98, 3.101, 3.110-3.114, 3.117-3.120, 3.217-3.225]. 

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