Glass transition of aqueous solutions involving annealing-induced ice recrystallization resolves liquid-liquid transition puzzle of water

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 15714
• Main Authors: Zhao, Li-Shan, Cao, Ze-Xian, Wang, Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27.10.2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 140/133; 639/638/440/94; 639/766/119/1002; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep15714

Liquid-liquid transition of water is an important concept in condensed-matter physics. Recently, it was claimed to have been confirmed in aqueous solutions based on annealing-induced upshift of glass-liquid transition temperature, . Here we report a universal water-content, , dependence of for aqueous solutions. Solutions with vitrify/devitrify at a constant temperature, , referring to freeze-concentrated phase with left behind ice crystallization. Those solutions with totally vitrify at under conventional cooling/heating process though, of the samples annealed at temperatures   to effectively evoke ice recrystallization is stabilized at . Experiments on aqueous glycerol and 1,2,4-butanetriol solutions in literature were repeated and the same samples subject to other annealing treatments equally reproduce the result. The upshift of by annealing is attributable to freeze-concentrated phase of solutions instead of ‘liquid II phase of water’. Our work also provides a reliable method to determine hydration formula and to scrutinize solute-solvent interaction in solution.