The Study of Molecular Relaxation in Simple Glass-Forming Polar Liquids and Mixtures

在这个由化学学部实验物理化学资助的RUI项目中，Berberian教授（St. Joseph's College）将使用介电和热容量测量来研究简单玻璃形成极性液体和混合物中的分子弛豫。这两种技术相辅相成，将有助于理解有机液体混合物组分之间的相互作用，特别是弛豫过程。这些数据的结果将有助于解释更复杂系统的行为。这项工作将在本科生助理的帮助下进行，他们将受益于接触现代研究设备和方法。有些分子具有极小的电偶极矩。通过将这些分子溶解在类似大小和形状的电惰性物质的混合物中，并使溶液成为电路的一部分，就有可能利用电流的变化来研究分子周围环境如何影响其旋转运动。这很重要，因为在低温下，运动变得非常缓慢，对分子间力的详细理解是缺失的。Beberian教授在这一领域的项目将有助于提高对物质“玻璃”状态的理解。

In this RUI project funded by Experimental Physical Chemistry in the Chemistry Division, Prof. Berberian (St. Joseph's College) will study molecular relaxation in simple glass-forming polar liquids and mixtures using both dielectric and heat capacity measurements. The two techniques complement each other and will help understand the interactions involved between components of mixtures of organic liquids, particularly the relaxation processes. Results of these data will contribute to explaining the behavior of more complex systems. The work is to be carried out with the aid of undergraduate assistants, who will benefit by exposure to modern research equipment and methodology. %%% Some molecules possess tiny electric dipole moments. By dissolving such molecules in mixtures of electrically inert species of similar size and shape, and making the solution part of an electric circuit, it is possible to use variations in current to study how the surroundings of a molecule influence its rotational motion. This is important because at low temperatures where the motion becomes extremely sluggish, detailed understanding of the intermolecular forces is absent. Prof. Beberian's project in this area will lead to an improved undertanding of this `glassy` state of matter.