It was recalled that 2-dimensional solids which were made up of particles with short-range attractions exhibited a solid-solid critical point. Computer simulations were performed which showed that, when near to this point, the crystal became unstable to dislocation unbinding. Since the concentration of free dislocations was very small, the resultant phase was expected to be a stable hexatic one. As the range of attraction grew, the hexatic pocket expanded and moved towards the melting curve. It was suggested that such hexatic phases near to a solid-solid critical point could be observed experimentally in confined colloidal suspensions.

P.Bladon, D.Frenkel: Physical Review Letters, 1995, 74[13], 2519-22