Phase transitions in molecular crystals of dicarboxylic acids

Abstract

A comparative analysis of phase transitions in molecular crystals of saturated dicarboxylic acids with {COOH(CH2) n COOH} chains of different lengths has been performed by differential scanning calorimetry, which revealed a number of new effects related with specific features of the phase transitions. A quantitative analysis of temperature dependence of the heat capacity has been carried out in the context of the theory of smeared (Λ-shaped) first-order phase transitions.