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Pressure-Induced Structural Transition in n-Pentane: A Raman Study
journal contribution
posted on 2007-06-28, 00:00 authored by G. Kavitha, Chandrabhas NarayanaPressure-induced Raman spectroscopy studies on n-pentane have been carried out up to 17 GPa at ambient
temperature. n-Pentane undergoes a liquid−solid transition around 3.0 GPa and a solid−solid transition
around 12.3 GPa. The intensity ratio of the Raman modes related to all-trans conformation (1130 cm-1 and
2850 cm-1) to that of gauche conformation (1090 cm-1 and 2922 cm-1) suggests an increase in the gauche
population conformers above 12.3 GPa. This is accompanied with broadening of Raman modes above
12.3 GPa. The high-pressure phase of n-pentane above 12.3 GPa is a disordered phase where the carbon
chains are kinked. The pressure-induced order−disorder phase transition is different from the behavior of
higher hydrocarbon like n-heptane.