Opposite correlations between cation disordering and amorphization resistance in spinels versus pyrochlores

Understanding and predicting radiation damage evolution in complex materials is crucial for developing next-generation nuclear energy sources. Here, using a combination of ion beam irradiation, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, we show that, contrary to the behaviour observed in pyrochlores, the amorphization resistance of spinel compounds correlates directly with the energy to disorder the structure. Using a combination of atomistic simulation techniques, we ascribe this behaviour to structural defects on the cation sublattice that are present in spinel but not in pyrochlore. Specifically, because of these structural defects, there are kinetic pathways for the relaxation of disorder in spinel that are absent in pyrochlore. This leads to a direct correlation between amorphization resistance and disordering energetics in spinel, the opposite of that observed in pyrochlores. These results provide new insight into the origins of amorphization resistance in complex oxides beyond fluorite derivatives

Comment; Eco-Ethica and Environmental Ethics

千葉大学公共研究センター21世紀プログラム「持続可能な福祉社会に向けた公共研究拠点

Effect of AM fungi inoculation on root morphological characters.

<p>Effect of AM fungi inoculation on root morphological characters.</p

Mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter of water stable aggregate in the rhizosphere of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i> colonized by <i>R</i>. <i>irregularis</i> (RI), <i>G</i>. <i>versiforme</i> (GV) or not (CV).

<p>Significant differences are indicated by different letters above the column (one-way ANOVA with Fisher’s LSD; <i>P</i> = 0.05; n = 3). MWD, mean weight diameter; GMD, geometric mean diameter. Replicate data is from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0153378#pone.0153378.s001" target="_blank">S1 Dataset</a>.</p

GRSP content and hyphae length in rhizosphere of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i> colonized by <i>R</i>. <i>irregularis</i> (RI), <i>G</i>. <i>versiforme</i> (GV) or not (CV).

<p>Significant differences are indicated by different letters (one-way ANOVA with Fisher’s LSD; <i>P</i> = 0.05; n = 6). EE-GRSP, easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein; T-GRSP, total glomalin-related soil protein; HL, hyphae length. Replicate data is from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0153378#pone.0153378.s001" target="_blank">S1 Dataset</a>.</p

Correlation coefficients among variables involved in GRSP content and soil aggregate.

<p>Correlation coefficients among variables involved in GRSP content and soil aggregate.</p

Effect of AM fungi on the root tensile force and strength of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i>, and the power law equation describe relationships between root tensile strength (<i>T</i>_r) and root diameter (<i>D</i>).

<p>Effect of AM fungi on the root tensile force and strength of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i>, and the power law equation describe relationships between root tensile strength (<i>T</i>_r) and root diameter (<i>D</i>).</p

Plant growth and mycorrhizal colonization of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i> 12 weeks after transplant.

<p>Plant growth and mycorrhizal colonization of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i> 12 weeks after transplant.</p

Effect of AM fungi on the percentage of soil aggregate at different size in the rhizosphere of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i>.

<p>Effect of AM fungi on the percentage of soil aggregate at different size in the rhizosphere of <i>R</i>. <i>pseudoacacia</i>.</p

Mean number of the four closed triples for nodes with the same indegree in the Epinions social network and the model.

<p>Results for the mean number of closed triples corresponding to (a) , (b) , (c) , and (d) loops for nodes with the same indegree are shown for the Epinions social network (black squares) and simulated network (red circles) based on the model. Analytic treatment (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0050702#pone.0050702.e328" target="_blank">Eq. (28)</a>) gives a scaling behavior with an exponent , as indicated by the dash lines. Data points are averages over the logarithmic bins of the indegree .</p