Research data for manuscript: Nanoscale dewetting and unpredictable dynamics of cyclic liquid in curved and rough nanochannels

The dataset include raw dielectric and calorimetric data consists of results collected for cyclic dimethylsila-17-crown-6 (DMS17C6) confined in anodic aluminum oxide mesopores with either constant (const-AAO) or modulated diameters (modul-AAO). We found a series of unexpected differences between both systems, i.e., different dynamics of confined liquid and Tg, reversible vs permanent confinement impact, different time-dependent behavior. Notably, wettability within the pores was found to be highly sensitive to curvature and roughness, leading to unexpected liquid behavior, such as trapping within surface asperities. These observations correlate with the permanent acceleration of structural relaxation dynamics, suggesting nanoscale dewetting despite apparent wetting at macroscopic scales. This discrepancy highlights the limitations of conventional contact angle measurements and underscores the necessity of nanoscale probes to accurately characterize interfacial interactions. The results also reveal the unique role of DMS17C6’s cyclic molecular topology in confinement dynamics, challenging the prevailing assumption that surface roughness universally suppresses interfacial effects. These findings provide new insights into nanoconfined liquid behavior, emphasizing the need to account for nanoscale curvature and roughness in theoretical models.