Surface melting of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane confined in controlled pore glasses: Curvature effects observed by [super 1]H NMR

The [super 1]H NMR investigation is employed to measure the thickness of the pre-molten surface layer formed at the interface of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) to the matrix in controlled pore glasses with different pore diameters. The study reveals that the surface layer thickness highly depends on the curvature of the pore wall and the solid-liquid interface, as OMCTS itself is a weakly polar molecule with close to spherical shape.