Tensile Effect on Crystal Nucleation of Methanol and Ethanol Confined in Pores

We examined the freezing and melting behaviors of methanol and ethanol confined in the crystalline carbon pores as a function of pore filling by means of X-ray diffraction. For methanol and ethanol confined in the carbon pores, capillary condensates of these molecules did not crystallize on cooling, unless the pores were nearly completely filled with the molecules. This suggests that, for methanol and ethanol confined in mesoporous carbon at partial fillings, crystal nucleation is totally suppressed by the tension exerted on the liquid confined in the mesopores, and thus, both the liquids confined in the mesopores vitrify on slow cooling under the tension.