Orientational glass

In solid-state physics, an orientational glass[1] is a molecular solid in which crystalline long-range order coexists with quenched disorder in some rotational degree of freedom.

An orientational glass is either obtained by quenching a plastic crystal, (e.g. cyclohexane, levoglucosan[2]), or it is a mixed crystal in which positional disorder causes additional disorder of molecular orientations, e.g. CN orientations in KCN:KBr.[3]

  1. ^ Loidl, A. (1989). "Orientational Glasses". Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. 40 (1). Annual Reviews: 29–60. Bibcode:1989ARPC...40...29L. doi:10.1146/annurev.pc.40.100189.000333. ISSN 0066-426X.
  2. ^ Moura Ramos, Joaquim J.; Diogo, Hermínio P. (2019). "Orientational glass, orientationally disordered crystal and crystalline polymorphism: A further study on the thermal behavior and molecular mobility in levoglucosan". Journal of Molecular Liquids. 286. Elsevier BV: 110914. doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2019.110914. ISSN 0167-7322. S2CID 164662415.
  3. ^ Knorr, K (1987-01-01). "The Glasslike State of the Mixed Alkali Halide-Alkali Cyanides". Physica Scripta. T19B. IOP Publishing: 531–536. Bibcode:1987PhST...19..531K. doi:10.1088/0031-8949/1987/t19b/034. ISSN 0031-8949.