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. 1984 Mar;81(6):1913–1917. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.6.1913

The pre-melt phase of n-alkanes: Crystallographic evidence for a kinked chain structure

D L Dorset *, B Moss *, J C Wittmann †, B Lotz †
PMCID: PMC345034  PMID: 16593438

Abstract

Electron diffraction measurements on epitaxially grown crystals of orthorhombic n-hexatriacontane, n-C36H74, give evidence for the chain-defect mechanism for linear chain melting. The derived structural model is also in accord with recent spectroscopic studies of odd-chain n-alkanes, and the diffraction data specifically exclude models based on helices or rigid chain rotors. Stability of a kinked chain structure, moreover, is indicated by an observed hysteresis effect that gives different pretransition temperatures for solution-grown and annealed crystals.

Keywords: phase transition, paraffin chain melting, lipid α-phase, kinked chain, electron diffraction

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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