TSDC as a tool to study slow molecular mobility in condensed complex systems

Abstract The usefulness of the dielectric technique of thermally stimulated depolarization currents (TSDC) to characterize the slow molecular mobility in complex condensed systems is emphasized. The experimental results obtained by TSDC with the glass-forming liquid salicylsalicylic acid were used to illustrate different points. The TSDC signatures of the α- and β-relaxations are presented and commented, and the physical significance of the information provided by TSDC is discussed. The need for complementary use of the two dielectric techniques of thermally stimulated depolarization currents and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) is stressed.