Studies of molecules confined to nano- or micropores are of considerable interest to physicists. That's because they can manipulate or stabilise molecules in unstable states or obtain unique materials with special properties. In a unique study published in EPJ Plus ,Stefan Frunza from the National Institute of Materials Physics in Romania and colleagues have discovered the properties of the surface layer in probe molecules on the surface of oxide particles. These properties depend on the interaction at the interface. In this specific study, probes are formed by adsorption of rod-like cyanophenyl derivates on the surface of oxide particles. The authors found that their surface layers behave like glass-forming liquids.
Source: phys.org