Phys.org August 19, 2022
The first-order phase transition between two tetrahedral networks of different density has received strong support from a growing body of work in recent years. An international team of researchers (UK, Italy) showed that this liquid–liquid phase transition in tetrahedral networks can be described as a transition between an unentangled, low-density liquid and an entangled, high-density liquid, the latter containing an ensemble of topologically complex motifs. They first revealed this distinction in a rationally designed colloidal analogue of water. They showed that this colloidal water model displays the well-known water thermodynamic anomalies as well as a liquid–liquid critical point. Then they investigated water, employing two widely used molecular models, to demonstrate that there is also a clear topological distinction between its two supercooled liquid networks, thereby establishing the generality of this observation. The work may have far-reaching implications for understanding liquid–liquid phase transitions in tetrahedral liquids…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Characterization of the LLPT in colloidal water by identifying links and knots. Credit: Nature Physics (2022)Â