Thermal expansion coefficients of NaNO$_2$ embedded into the nanoporous glasses

The temperature evolution of the crystal structure of sodium nitrite nanoparticles has been studied with heating and cooling using synchrotron radiation diffraction. Nanocomposites have been prepared by embedding melted NaNO$_2$ into the pores of the glasses, average diameters of the pores were 20 nm and 46 nm. Analysis of obtained diffraction patterns has revealed significant difference of the coefficients of thermal expansion (contraction) on heating and on cooling between nanostructured and massive sodium nitrite in the temperature range corresponding to the paraelectric phase. It is confirmed that in these nanocomposites the phase transition from the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase remains the first-order phase transition. Temperature hysteresis of this phase transition is about 10 K.