Polymorphism of glass-former m-cresol

[Display omitted] •We present the first experimental spectroscopy and calorimetry proof of the existence of polymorphism in m-cresol.•The melting temperatures of the stable and metastable phases are 281 and 265 K, respectively.•At temperature Tc ∼ 1.2 Tg, generation of the fluctuating crystal nuclei in supercooled liquid m-cresol begins.•The first time we have received the IR spectra of both polymorphs. We present the first experimental spectroscopy and calorimetry proof of the existence of polymorphism in m-cresol. The crystallization of the stable phase occurs on cooling of the liquid phase in the region of 240 K and metastable phase in the supercooled region at 240 K upon heating of the glassy phase. Their melting temperatures are 281 and 265 K, respectively. The temperature at which the nucleation starts in the supercooled liquid state is in the range 1.29–1.18 Tg. The first time we have received the FT-IR spectra of both polymorphs, which are quite different especially at low temperatures.