Scientists at the University of Constance in Germany have published their work in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
When a material transforms from a liquid to a solid, its molecules line up in a line or crystal pattern. In the “glass”, the molecules are “frozen” in place prior to crystallization. This disordered state is under study.
The Germans used a model system that included suspensions of ellipsoidal colloids and discovered the state of matter – “liquid glass”. In this state, the particles move but do not rotate. This has not yet been observed in bulk glasses.
The results of the study suggest that this will shed light on the behavior of complex systems and molecules, as well as influence the development of liquid crystal devices.