Orientational behavior of molecular liquids in restricted geometries

Abstract

Subpicosecond optical birefringence techniques have been employed to probe directly the rotational dynamics of topologically different molecular liquids confined within porous sol-gel glasses. The glasses have extremely high surface areas with uniform and controllable pore diameters, allowing a systematic evaluation of the liquid behavior as a function of its geometrical confinement. Results with wetting and nonwetting liquids reveal differences between the dynamics of the surface layer and that of the bulk, thereby providing a method of calculating equilibrium properties of the adsorbed film. © 1986 The American Physical Society.