Structure amorphous solids

Unlike the solid state, the liquid state cannot be characterized by a static description. In a liquid, bonds break and refomi continuously as a fiinction of time. The quantum states in the liquid are similar to those in amorphous solids in the sense that the system is also disordered. The liquid state can be quantified only by considering some ensemble averaging and using statistical measures. For example, consider an elemental liquid. Just as for amorphous solids, one can ask what is the distribution of atoms at a given distance from a reference atom on average, i.e. the radial distribution function or the pair correlation function can also be defined for a liquid. In scattering experiments on liquids, a structure factor is measured. The radial distribution fiinction, g r), is related to the stnicture factor, S q), by... 

Two point defects may aggregate to give a defect pair (such as when the two vacanc that constitute a Schottky defect come from neighbouring sites). Ousters of defects ( also form. These defect clusters may ultimately give rise to a new periodic structure oi an extended defect such as a dislocation. Increasing disorder may alternatively give j to a random, amorphous solid. As the properties of a material may be dramatically alte by the presence of defects it is obviously of great interest to be able to imderstand th relationships and ultimately predict them. However, we will restrict our discussion small concentrations of defects. 

The modeling of amorphous solids is a more dilhcult problem. This is because there is no rigorous way to determine the structure of an amorphous compound or even dehne when it has been found. There are algorithms for building up a structure that has various hybridizations and size rings according to some statistical distribution. Such calculations cannot be made more efficient by the use of symmetry. 

Hydrolysis of Pb" salts leads to different structures, p. 395.) It seems unlikely that pure Sn(OH)2 itself has ever been prepared from aqueous solutions but it can be obtained as a white, amorphous solid by an anhydrous organometallic method ... 

Properties of panal (Nakamura etal., 1988a). Purified panal is a colorless, amorphous solid, soluble in alcohols, water, ethyl acetate, and chloroform. The absorption spectrum (Fig. 9.3) shows a single peak (A.max 217nm, e 15,300). Optical rotation [a]D —17° (c 0.9, methanol). Mass spectrometry and NMR analysis showed that panal is a sesquiterpene aldehyde, C15H18O5 (Mr 278.30), with the structure shown below. 

A crystalline solid is a solid in which the atoms, ions, or molecules lie in an orderly array (Fig. 5.16). A crystalline solid has long-range order. An amorphous solid is one in which the atoms, ions, or molecules lie in a random jumble, as in butter, rubber, and glass (Fig. 5.17). An amorphous solid has a structure like that of a frozen instant in the life of a liquid, with only short-range order. Crystalline solids typically have flat, well-defined planar surfaces called crystal faces, which lie at definite angles to one another. These faces are formed by orderly layers of atoms (Box 5.1). Amorphous solids do not have well-defined faces unless they have been molded or cut. 

Overview of the Classical Theory of the Structural Glass Transition The Intrinsic Excitations of Amorphous Solids... 

Rice, S. A. Conjuectures on the Structure of Amorphous Solid and Liquid Water. 60, 109-200 (1975). 

Palladium acetate, [PdO —02CCH3)2l3, possesses a unique quality that makes it attractive for solid state decomposition studies as well as technological applications. It can be spin-coated from solution to form a homogeneous, apparently amorphous solid film. This provides large uniform areas over which we can study the effects of various irradiation sources on the chemical nature of the film. The bulky structure of palladium acetate, shown in Figure 1 (8), may offer a partial explanation of the molecule s ability to achieve an amorphous metastable phase upon rapid evaporation of solvent. 

The effect of relative humidity and temperature on the physical and structural properties of the 1 1 isopropanol solvatomorph of warfarin has been studied [58], Below the critical relative humidity of 60-68% the solid is not hygroscopic, but becomes deliquescent at higher values of relative humidity without exchange of water for isopropanol. Storage of the solvate-morph at elevated temperatures causes formation of an amorphous solid owing to loss of isopropanol, which may proceed through an intermediate crystalline phase. 

Chromium zeolites are recognised to possess, at least at the laboratory scale, notable catalytic properties like in ethylene polymerization, oxidation of hydrocarbons, cracking of cumene, disproportionation of n-heptane, and thermolysis of H20 [ 1 ]. Several factors may have an effect on the catalytic activity of the chromium catalysts, such as the oxidation state, the structure (amorphous or crystalline, mono/di-chromate or polychromates, oxides, etc.) and the interaction of the chromium species with the support which depends essentially on the catalysts preparation method. They are ruled principally by several parameters such as the metal loading, the support characteristics, and the nature of the post-treatment (calcination, reduction, etc.). The nature of metal precursor is a parameter which can affect the predominance of chromium species in zeolite. In the case of solid-state exchange, the exchange process initially takes place at the solid- solid interface between the precursor salt and zeolite grains, and the success of the exchange depends on the type of interactions developed [2]. The aim of this work is to study the effect of the chromium precursor on the physicochemical properties of chromium loaded ZSM-5 catalysts and their catalytic performance in ethylene ammoxidation to acetonitrile. 

As an example, in Fig. 3.11, a schematic two-dimension representation of the structure of cristobalite (a crystalline form of Si02) and of vitreous Si02 is shown. A, B and C represent three cases of double possible equilibrium positions for the atoms of the material in the amorphous state [41]. Atoms can tunnel from one position to another. The thermal excitation of TLS is responsible for the linear contribution to the specific heat of amorphous solids. 

Activated carbon is an amorphous solid with a large internal surface area/pore structure that adsorbs molecules from both the liquid and gas phase [11]. It has been manufactured from a number of raw materials including wood, coconut shell, and coal [11,12], Specific processes have been developed to produce activated carbon in powdered, granular, and specially shaped (pellet) forms. The key to development of activated carbon products has been the selection of the manufacturing process, raw material, and an understanding of the basic adsorption process to tailor the product to a specific adsorption application. 

The use of X-ray diffraction from crystalline samples can result in a complete three-dimensional crystal structure of a molecule, but requires a single crystal suitable for proper diffraction (see Section 3.3). X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) can yield limited molecular structural information on noncrystalline (amorphous) solid... 

Despite the current lack of clarity regarding the relationship between glass transition and chemical reaction kinetics, it is still quite feasible that chemical and biochemical reaction rates may be governed by mobility, i.e., the mobility that is most rate limiting to a particular reaction scheme (e.g., water mobility, reactant mobility, molecular-level matrix mobility, local or microregion mobility), but perhaps not simply by an average amorphous solid mobility as reflected by the Tg. Ludescher et al. (2001) recommend the use of luminescence spectroscopy to investigate how rates of specific chemical and physical processes important in amorphous solid foods are influenced by specific modes of molecular mobility, as well as by molecular structure. 

Luck, W.A.P. 1981. Structures of water in aqueous systems. In Water Activity Influences on Food Quality (L.B. Rockland and G.F. Stewart, eds), pp. 407 134. Academic Press, New York. Ludescher, R.D., Shah, N.K., McCaul, C.P., and Simon, K.V. 2001. Beyond Tg Optical luminescence measurements of molecular mobility in amorphous solid foods. Food Hydro colloids 15, 331-339. Ludwig, R. 2001. Water From cluster to the bulk. Angewandte Chem. Int. Ed. 40, 1808-1827. Maclnnes, W.M. 1993. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis of sucrose solutions. In The Glassy State in Foods (J.M.V. Blanshard and PJ. Lillford, eds), pp. 223-248. Nottingham Univ. Press, Loughborough, Leicestershire. 

At the macroscopic level, a solid is a substance that has both a definite volume and a definite shape. At the microscopic level, solids may be one of two types amorphous or crystalline. Amorphous solids lack extensive ordering of the particles. There is a lack of regularity of the structure. There may be small regions of order separated by large areas of disordered particles. They resemble liquids more than solids in this characteristic. Amorphous solids have no distinct melting point. They simply become softer and softer as the temperature rises. Glass, rubber, and charcoal are examples of amorphous solids. 

Amorphous solids have very little structure in the solid state. 

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