Liquids under confinement exhibit different properties compared with their corresponding bulk phases, for example miscibility, phase transitions, and diffusion. The underlying cause is the local ordering of molecules which is usually only studied using pure simulation methods.<br/>Herein, we derive experimentally the structure of benzene confined in MCM-41 using total neutron scattering measurements. The study reveals a layering of molecules across a pore, and four concentric cylindrical shells can be distinguished for a pore with the radius of 18 Å. The nanoscale confinement of the liquid has a major effect on the spatial and orientational correlations observed between the molecules, when compared with the structure of the bulk liquid (Figure 1 and 2). These differences are most marked for the molecules in the parallel configurations.<br/>The fact that confinement tends to enforce a different local ordering between benzene molecules compared to the bulk phase may suggest a different degree of reactivity. This study represents the first step in modelling individual state-points of the heterogeneously catalyzed liquid-phase reacting system where a mixture of product and reactant molecules will occur.

What effect does confinement have on the structure of liquid benzene?

256th National Meeting (2018)

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