Stable film, metastable film

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-011265",
  "term": "Stable film, metastable film",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A stable film is a thin layer of material that exists in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, meaning it has the lowest possible free energy under the given conditions. A metastable film, in contrast, is in a local energy minimum and can persist for a long time but is not at the global energy minimum. Metastable films can transition to a more stable state given sufficient activation energy.",
  "subject": "Physical and Biophysical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "equilibrium film",
    "film",
    "stable",
    "unstable"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 1972, 31, 577. 'Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units, Appendix II: Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry' on page 614 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197231040577)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/stable-film-metastable-film/"
}