Quasi-continuous melting of model polymer monolayers prompts reinterpretation of polymer melting
Melting is considered a strictly first-order transition and therefore cannot proceed continuously. Here the authors challenge this concept for long-chain compounds by demonstrating continuous melting of thin layers on graphite where the barrier for such melting, the interface crowding, is removed.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21799-9 |