Kinetic Growth Regimes of Hydrothermally Synthesized Potassium Tantalate Nanoparticles

A general mathematical kinetic growth model is proposed on the basis of observed growth regimes of hydrothermally synthesized KTaO₃ nanoparticles from electron microscopy studies on the surface morphology and surface chemistry. Secondary electron imaging demonstrated that there are two dominant growth mechanisms: terrace nucleation, where the surfaces are rough, and terrace growth, where surfaces are smooth. In the proposed model based upon standard step-flow growth, the rates of both mechanisms are established to be dependent on the chemical potential change of the growth environmentterrace nucleation dominates with larger negative chemical potential, and terrace growth dominates with smaller negative chemical potential. This analysis illustrates the importance of ending a synthesis in a regime of low negative chemical potential in order to achieve smooth well-faceted nanoparticles

Direct Observation of Large Flexoelectric Bending at the Nanoscale in Lanthanide Scandates

There is a growing interest in the flexoelectric effect, since at the nanoscale it is predicted to be very large. However, there have been no direct observations of flexoelectric bending consistent with current theoretical work that implies strains comparable to or exceeding the yield strains of typical materials. Here we show a direct observation of extraordinarily large, two-dimensional reversible bending at the nanoscale in dysprosium scandate due to the converse flexoelectric effect, with similar results for terbium and gadolinium scandate. Within a transmission electron microscope, thin features bend up to 90° with radii of curvature of about 1 μm, corresponding to very large nominal strains. Analysis including independent experimental determination of the flexoelectric coefficient is semiquantitatively consistent with interpreting the results as due to flexoelectricity. These results experimentally demonstrate large flexoelectric bending at the nanoscale

Direct Observation of Large Flexoelectric Bending at the Nanoscale in Lanthanide Scandates

There is a growing interest in the flexoelectric effect, since at the nanoscale it is predicted to be very large. However, there have been no direct observations of flexoelectric bending consistent with current theoretical work that implies strains comparable to or exceeding the yield strains of typical materials. Here we show a direct observation of extraordinarily large, two-dimensional reversible bending at the nanoscale in dysprosium scandate due to the converse flexoelectric effect, with similar results for terbium and gadolinium scandate. Within a transmission electron microscope, thin features bend up to 90° with radii of curvature of about 1 μm, corresponding to very large nominal strains. Analysis including independent experimental determination of the flexoelectric coefficient is semiquantitatively consistent with interpreting the results as due to flexoelectricity. These results experimentally demonstrate large flexoelectric bending at the nanoscale

Direct Observation of Large Flexoelectric Bending at the Nanoscale in Lanthanide Scandates

There is a growing interest in the flexoelectric effect, since at the nanoscale it is predicted to be very large. However, there have been no direct observations of flexoelectric bending consistent with current theoretical work that implies strains comparable to or exceeding the yield strains of typical materials. Here we show a direct observation of extraordinarily large, two-dimensional reversible bending at the nanoscale in dysprosium scandate due to the converse flexoelectric effect, with similar results for terbium and gadolinium scandate. Within a transmission electron microscope, thin features bend up to 90° with radii of curvature of about 1 μm, corresponding to very large nominal strains. Analysis including independent experimental determination of the flexoelectric coefficient is semiquantitatively consistent with interpreting the results as due to flexoelectricity. These results experimentally demonstrate large flexoelectric bending at the nanoscale

Direct Observation of Large Flexoelectric Bending at the Nanoscale in Lanthanide Scandates

There is a growing interest in the flexoelectric effect, since at the nanoscale it is predicted to be very large. However, there have been no direct observations of flexoelectric bending consistent with current theoretical work that implies strains comparable to or exceeding the yield strains of typical materials. Here we show a direct observation of extraordinarily large, two-dimensional reversible bending at the nanoscale in dysprosium scandate due to the converse flexoelectric effect, with similar results for terbium and gadolinium scandate. Within a transmission electron microscope, thin features bend up to 90° with radii of curvature of about 1 μm, corresponding to very large nominal strains. Analysis including independent experimental determination of the flexoelectric coefficient is semiquantitatively consistent with interpreting the results as due to flexoelectricity. These results experimentally demonstrate large flexoelectric bending at the nanoscale

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Modified Wulff Constructions for Twinned Nanoparticles

Wulff constructions are a powerful tool to predict the shape of nanoparticles, which strongly influences their performance in catalysis, sensing, and surface-enhanced spectroscopies. Previous Wulff models focused on energy minimization and included contributions from the surface energy, interface energy, twin boundaries, and segregation-induced bulk energy changes. However, a large number of shapes cannot be understood by such thermodynamic approaches, in particular many of the twinned late transition metal (Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, etc.) particles of interest in catalysis and plasmonics. A review of the modified Wulff (i.e., twinned) construction is presented here, followed by the development of a modified kinetic Wulff model, which, by including kinetic parameters, explains the emergence of commonly observed shapes such as bitetrahedra, truncated bitetrahedra, thin triangular platelets, perfect decahedra, and decahedral rods

Compositional Inhomogeneity and Corner Enrichment of Pt in Pt/Pd Bimetallic Nanoparticles

Experimental results of a smooth composition gradient within Pt/Pd alloy nanoparticles with Pt enrichment at the corners are reported. We find that the Pt concentration gradually increases toward the outermost surface, and it appears different from the thermodynamically most stable configuration. We demonstrate that it is the result of reaction kinetics of both the reduction of precursors and growth of nanoparticles, by a growth model. We then explain that the corner Pt enrichment is a result of local thermodynamic control at the corners. This mixed control of kinetics and thermodynamics in bimetallic nanoparticle synthesis can lead to the formation of particles with a complex concentration profile, which could be interesting when these particles are used in catalytic applications. Our analysis is not simply a qualitative model but rather a relatively rigorous quantitative analysis of the composition as a function of the growth conditions, which can serve as a basis for improved reproducibility of synthesis for applications

Strain-Induced Segregation in Bimetallic Multiply Twinned Particles

We analyze the possibility of strain-induced segregation in bimetallic multiply twinned particles by an analytic first-order expansion within a continuum model. The results indicate that while the change in free energy may be small, there will be a noticeable segregation of larger atoms to the external surface and smaller ones to the core, which could have interesting effects when such nanoparticles are used as heterogeneous catalysts

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Modified Wulff Constructions for Twinned Nanoparticles

Wulff constructions are a powerful tool to predict the shape of nanoparticles, which strongly influences their performance in catalysis, sensing, and surface-enhanced spectroscopies. Previous Wulff models focused on energy minimization and included contributions from the surface energy, interface energy, twin boundaries, and segregation-induced bulk energy changes. However, a large number of shapes cannot be understood by such thermodynamic approaches, in particular many of the twinned late transition metal (Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, etc.) particles of interest in catalysis and plasmonics. A review of the modified Wulff (i.e., twinned) construction is presented here, followed by the development of a modified kinetic Wulff model, which, by including kinetic parameters, explains the emergence of commonly observed shapes such as bitetrahedra, truncated bitetrahedra, thin triangular platelets, perfect decahedra, and decahedral rods

Thermodynamic Analysis of Multiply Twinned Particles: Surface Stress Effects

In nanoparticle technologies, such as SERS, fuel cell catalysis and data storage, icosahedral and decahedral nanoparticles, owing to their defect structure, provide higher functionality than their single-crystal Wulff counterparts. However, precise control on the yield of multiply twinned structures during solution synthesis has been challenging. In particular, it is difficult to synthesize icosahedral structures due to the high volumetric strain energy associated with the disclination defects and the transition to decahedral morphologies. In this Letter, we elucidate the role of surface stresses in influencing the thermodynamic stability of multiply twinned particles. Increasing the surface stresses inhibits the formation of decahedral structures and increases the likelihood of synthesizing metastable icosahedral particles. Analogously, large decahedral particles may be stabilized by decreasing the surface stresses. Therefore, by tailoring the solution chemistry to influence the surface stresses, greater control over the synthesis of multiply twinned structures can be achieved