Abstract
Neutron diffraction demonstrates that ethanol physisorbed on the basal planes of graphite forms a commensurate unit cell with a melting temperature of approximately 205 K for coverages from 0.7 to 1.6 monolayers. This temperature is 46 K above the melting temperature of bulk ethanol, making this system unique among species physisorbed on graphite. A microscopic model of the system has been developed using a molecular dynamics simulation. It predicts a two-step mechanism for melting and demonstrates that hydrogen bonding plays a dominant role in stabilizing the two-dimensional solid.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 89-92 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Physical Review Letters |
| Volume | 69 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |