Relaxation dynamics in confined glasses

Abstract

Confining a system between two walls or in pores changes its static and dynamic properties. In glass-forming materials, confinement has a strong effect on dynamic properties and, in particular, on the glass transition temperature of the system. In the recent years, numerous studies have been performed on confinement effects in amorphous polymers and small organic glass-formers. This article makes a review of the progress achieved experimentally in this field, outlining the questions that are still controversial.