NaHCO₃ above a Platinum electrode

 

This is an aggregating system when looking at the phase angle and doublet trajectories.

Initially there is separation with equal spacing followed by aggregation of hexamers and heptamers.  This "blinking" of the aggregates is very interesting.  Over longer times, the hexamers and heptamers aggregates to form larger aggregates with hexagonal symmetry.  We believe this to be a slow "condensation" phase transition, analogous to the condensation of gas to a liquid.

 

If you cannot view the video above, it can be downloaded from:

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jhoggard/images/

Click on "NaHCO3 on Pt.mpeg"