The frequency dispersion of structural α-relaxation obtained from broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements is relatively narrow in many polar glass-formers. On the other hand, it becomes much broader when probed by other techniques, including photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mechanical shear modulus. Therefore, the dynamics of glass-formers observed by dielectric permittivity spectroscopy (DS) is called into question. Herein we propose a way to resolve this problem. First, we point out an unresolved Johari-Goldstein (JG) β-relaxation is present nearby the α-relaxation in these polar glass-formers. The dielectric relaxation strength of the JG β-relaxation is sufficiently weak compared to the α-relaxation so that the narrow dielectric frequency dispersion faithfully represents the dynamic heterogeneity and cooperativity of the α-relaxation. However, when the other techniques are used to probe the same glass-former, there is a reduction of relaxation strength of α-relaxation relative to that of the JG β-relaxation. Additionally, the separation between the α and the JG β relaxations in dielectric permittivity) decreases when probed by mechanical shear modulus. These changes in relation of α- to JG β-relaxation, when examined by the other techniques, engender the non-negligible contribution of the latter to the former. Hence the apparent α-relaxation is broader than observed by the dielectric permittivity. The broadening is artificial because it is due to a confluence of the α and JG β relaxations with a disparity in their relaxation strengths much less when the other techniques than by dielectric permittivity are used. This explanation is supported by showing the α-relaxation of polar glass-formers becomes broader when the dielectric data are represented in terms of the electric modulus instead of permittivity. The broadening, in this case, is again due to a reduction of the relaxation strength of the α-relaxation relative to that of the JG β-relaxation in the electric modulus representation. A corollary of the explanation applicable to weakly polar glass-formers having JG β-relaxation widely separated from the α-relaxation is the prediction that the frequency dispersion of dielectric α-relaxation is nearly the same as that of the electric modulus, and there is no significant additional broadening when probed by the other techniques. A host of experimental data from the literature and our new measurements are given to support the explanation for polar glass-formers and the ancillary prediction for weakly polar glass-formers. Thus the narrow frequency dispersion of the intense relaxation in polar glass-formers observed by dielectric permittivity is real and genuinely represents the dynamically heterogeneous and cooperative dynamics of α-relaxation. By contrast, the broad dispersion found by the other techniques is artificial and misleading.

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No competing interests reported.
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Posted 11 May, 2021
On 02 Jun, 2021
Received 30 May, 2021
On 16 May, 2021
Invitations sent on 15 May, 2021
On 15 May, 2021
On 07 May, 2021
On 07 May, 2021
On 04 May, 2021
Posted 11 May, 2021
On 02 Jun, 2021
Received 30 May, 2021
On 16 May, 2021
Invitations sent on 15 May, 2021
On 15 May, 2021
On 07 May, 2021
On 07 May, 2021
On 04 May, 2021
The frequency dispersion of structural α-relaxation obtained from broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements is relatively narrow in many polar glass-formers. On the other hand, it becomes much broader when probed by other techniques, including photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mechanical shear modulus. Therefore, the dynamics of glass-formers observed by dielectric permittivity spectroscopy (DS) is called into question. Herein we propose a way to resolve this problem. First, we point out an unresolved Johari-Goldstein (JG) β-relaxation is present nearby the α-relaxation in these polar glass-formers. The dielectric relaxation strength of the JG β-relaxation is sufficiently weak compared to the α-relaxation so that the narrow dielectric frequency dispersion faithfully represents the dynamic heterogeneity and cooperativity of the α-relaxation. However, when the other techniques are used to probe the same glass-former, there is a reduction of relaxation strength of α-relaxation relative to that of the JG β-relaxation. Additionally, the separation between the α and the JG β relaxations in dielectric permittivity) decreases when probed by mechanical shear modulus. These changes in relation of α- to JG β-relaxation, when examined by the other techniques, engender the non-negligible contribution of the latter to the former. Hence the apparent α-relaxation is broader than observed by the dielectric permittivity. The broadening is artificial because it is due to a confluence of the α and JG β relaxations with a disparity in their relaxation strengths much less when the other techniques than by dielectric permittivity are used. This explanation is supported by showing the α-relaxation of polar glass-formers becomes broader when the dielectric data are represented in terms of the electric modulus instead of permittivity. The broadening, in this case, is again due to a reduction of the relaxation strength of the α-relaxation relative to that of the JG β-relaxation in the electric modulus representation. A corollary of the explanation applicable to weakly polar glass-formers having JG β-relaxation widely separated from the α-relaxation is the prediction that the frequency dispersion of dielectric α-relaxation is nearly the same as that of the electric modulus, and there is no significant additional broadening when probed by the other techniques. A host of experimental data from the literature and our new measurements are given to support the explanation for polar glass-formers and the ancillary prediction for weakly polar glass-formers. Thus the narrow frequency dispersion of the intense relaxation in polar glass-formers observed by dielectric permittivity is real and genuinely represents the dynamically heterogeneous and cooperative dynamics of α-relaxation. By contrast, the broad dispersion found by the other techniques is artificial and misleading.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9
The full text of this article is available to read as a PDF.
No competing interests reported.
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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