Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Structure of Plastic Crystalline Succinonitrile: High-Resolution in situ Powder Diffraction

Journal Article · · Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie

The temperature dependent (150-290 K) crystal structure of the low-temperature -phase, and high temperature -phase, of succinonitrile has been determined by high resolution in situ powder diffraction. The -phase has a monoclinic unit cell that contains four gauche molecules and belongs to the P21/a space group. The crystal undergoes a reversible first-order phase transition at 233 K into the high temperature -phase. The lattice parameters increase with temperature and the phase transition leads to an abrupt 6.7 % increase in volume. The -phase crystallizes into a bcc-structure that belongs to the space group. The high temperature phase; however, is a highly disordered plastic crystal at room temperature that contains both gauche and trans molecules. The non-linearity in the overall isotropic temperature-factor indicates other possible phase transitions in the temperature range of 233-250 K

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) National Synchrotron Light Source
Sponsoring Organization:
Doe - Office Of Science
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
980555
Report Number(s):
BNL--93473-2010-JA
Journal Information:
Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie, Journal Name: Zeitschrift fur Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie Vol. 635
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English