Structural investigations into the melting transition of benzene under confinement.

We propose to study three H/D substitutions of benzene, benzene-h6, benzene-d6, and a 50:50 h/d mixture, whilst confined in MCM-41, around the Tm of the confined aromatic. Three temperatures are proposed one pre confined melting transition, one ‘on the cusp’ and one post melting transition. This work will expand understanding of the confinement effects on molecular arrangement around transition states, where large transition state temperature depressions have been noted.