Giant Premelting Effects for Solid–Liquid Discontinuous Transition in Nitrobenzene under Compression

Abstract

This report presents ‘giant’ and long-range premelting effects appearing in dielectric properties for the temperature and pressure paths of studies, with an explicit critical-like portrayal. The result was obtained for the ‘classic’ low molecular weight compound: nitrobenzene, tested in the solid and liquid phases. Dielectric studies enable the ‘extraction’ of the response from liquid layers between crystalline grains. Compressing increased the premelting effects, probably due to the ‘crushing’ of crystalline grains by isotropic squeezing and increasing the liquid layers between grains. This report indicates the significance of considering the melting/freezing phenomenon from the point of view of the ‘solid crystalline grains and critical-type liquid layers in synergic interactions’ concept.