MOLECULAR, KINETIC AND THERMODYNAMIC FEATURES OF SUPERCOOLED LIQUIDS - GLASS TRANSITION AND KAUZMANN PARADOX

SIVAPRAKASAM K.^1
1Department of Chemistry and Physics, St. Cloud State University, 720 4th Ave South, St. Cloud, MN, USA.

Received : 30-01-2014     Accepted : 12-02-2014     Published : 28-02-2014
Volume : 2     Issue : 1       Pages : 43 - 52
World Res J Chem 2.1 (2014):43-52

Supercooled liquid-glass transition has both kinetic and thermodynamic features that make it a truly complex process to understand. The origin of dynamic heterogeneity as molecules slip into glassy state is intriguing and the molecular mechanism underlying these events is not clear. This is largely due to lack of reasonable molecular models and experimental techniques to follow the vitrification process at molecular scale. The complex dynamics of glasses involving sluggish, cooperative kinetics leading to structural arrest and freeze in entropy is discussed from various perspectives. Can the slowing down of flow and relaxation behavior at low temperature be addressed by a unified theory? This review critically analyzes the generalized features of glasses that could pave the way for an elusive universal theory of glass transition.