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Related Concept Videos

Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes02:58

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

Crystal Field Theory
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes02:46

Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes

Tetrahedral Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

Structural building principles of complex face-centered cubic intermetallics.

Julia Dshemuchadse1, Daniel Y Jung, Walter Steurer

  • 1Laboratory of Crystallography, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.

Acta Crystallographica. Section B, Structural Science
|July 22, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Complex intermetallic crystal structures share common building principles based on atomic layers forming fullerene-like clusters. These structures are superstructures of the double-diamond type, with parameters determined by chemical composition.

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Last Updated: May 30, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
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Published on: June 7, 2018

Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides
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Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides

Published on: July 1, 2013

Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
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Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals

Published on: November 22, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Solid-state chemistry
  • Crystallography
  • Materials science

Background:

  • 56 known intermetallic phases with large unit cells (>400 atoms) and specific space-group symmetries (F43m, Fd3m, Fd3, Fm3m, Fm3c) exhibit complex structures.
  • Despite variations in chemical composition, bonding, and electronic band structure, these phases display common structural motifs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and describe the fundamental building principles governing the complex crystal structures of these intermetallic phases.
  • To explain the observed similarities in crystal structures despite diverse chemical compositions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of crystal structures of 56 intermetallic phases.
  • Identification of repeating structural units and stacking sequences.
  • Characterization of atomic arrangements and cluster formation.

Main Results:

  • The structure-determining elements are identified as flat and puckered atomic {110} layers stacked periodically.
  • These layers form pentagon face-sharing endohedral fullerene-like clusters arranged in a face-centered cubic (f.c.c.) packing.
  • All structures can be described as superstructures of the double-diamond type, characterized by a parameter 'p' (3, 4, 7, or 11).

Conclusions:

  • A unified building principle based on layered structures and fullerene-like clusters explains the complexity of these intermetallic phases.
  • The parameter 'p' is determined by the number of layers and cluster packing, which are ultimately controlled by chemical composition.
  • This provides a framework for understanding and potentially designing new intermetallic materials with specific structural properties.