Phase transformations in methanol at high pressure measured by dielectric spectroscopy technique

Abstract

Dielectric response in methanol measured in wide pressure and temperature range ($P < 6.0$ GPa; 100 K $<T<$ 360 K) reveals a series of anomalies which can be interpreted as a transformation between several solid phases of methanol including a hitherto unknown high-pressure low-temperature phase with stability range $P > $ 1.2 GPa $T < 270$ K. In the intermediate P-T region $P \approx 3.4-3.7$ GPa $T \approx 260-280$ K a set of complicated structural transformations occurs involving four methanol crystalline structures. At higher pressures within a narrow range $P \approx 4.3-4.5$ GPa methanol can be obtained in the form of fragile glass ($T_g \approx 200$ K, $m_p \approx 80$ at $P= 4.5$ GPa) by relatively slow cooling.