Folded network and structural transition in molten tin

Liang Xu, Zhigang Wang, Jian Chen, Songyi Chen, Wenge Yang, Yang Ren, Xiaobing Zuo, Jianrong Zeng, Qiang Wu () and Howard Sheng ()
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Liang Xu: National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics
Zhigang Wang: National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics
Jian Chen: Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research
Songyi Chen: Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research
Wenge Yang: Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research
Yang Ren: X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory
Xiaobing Zuo: X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory
Jianrong Zeng: Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Zhangjiang Laboratory, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qiang Wu: National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics
Howard Sheng: George Mason University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The fundamental relationships between the structure and properties of liquids are far from being well understood. For instance, the structural origins of many liquid anomalies still remain unclear, but liquid-liquid transitions (LLT) are believed to hold a key. However, experimental demonstrations of LLTs have been rather challenging. Here, we report experimental and theoretical evidence of a second-order-like LLT in molten tin, one which favors a percolating covalent bond network at high temperatures. The observed structural transition originates from the fluctuating metallic/covalent behavior of atomic bonding, and consequently a new paradigm of liquid structure emerges. The liquid structure, described in the form of a folded network, bridges two well-established structural models for disordered systems, i.e., the random packing of hard-spheres and a continuous random network, offering a large structural midground for liquids and glasses. Our findings provide an unparalleled physical picture of the atomic arrangement for a plethora of liquids, shedding light on the thermodynamic and dynamic anomalies of liquids but also entailing far-reaching implications for studying liquid polyamorphism and dynamical transitions in liquids.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27742-2

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