Density hysteresis of heavy water confined in a nanoporous silica matrix

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1100238108· OSTI ID:1023333

Zhang, Yang ^[1]; Faraone, Antonio ^[2]; Kamitakahara, William ^[1]; Liu, Kao-Hsiang ^[3]; Mou, Chung-Yuan ^[3]; Leao, Juscelino B ^[1]; Chang, Sung C ^[1]; Chen, Sow-hsin H ^[1]

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1. ORNL
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
3. National Taiwan University

A neutron scattering technique was developed to measure the density of heavy water confined in a nanoporous silica matrix in a temperature-pressure range, from 300 to 130 K and from 1 to 2,900 bars, where bulk water will crystalize. We observed a prominent hysteresis phenomenon in the measured density profiles between warming and cooling scans above 1,000 bars. We inter- pret this hysteresis phenomenon as support (although not a proof) of the hypothetical existence of a first-order liquid liquid phase transition of water that would exist in the macroscopic system if crystallization could be avoided in the relevant phase region. Moreover, the density data we obtained for the confined heavy water under these conditions are valuable to large communities in biology and earth and planetary sciences interested in phenomena in which nanometer-sized water layers are involved.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1023333
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal Issue: 30 Vol. 108; ISSN 0027-8424
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
BIOLOGY
COMMUNITIES
CRYSTALLIZATION
HEAVY WATER
HYSTERESIS
NEUTRONS
SCATTERING
SILICA
WATER
confined water
equation of state
liquid-liquid critical phenomenon
neutron scattering