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Structures of Solids

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...

Metallic Solids

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...

Ionic Crystal Structures

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...

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

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...

Unit Cells

Unit Cells

A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...

Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

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

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

Published on: June 7, 2018

Vacancy-stabilized crystalline order in hard cubes.

Frank Smallenburg¹, Laura Filion, Matthieu Marechal

¹Soft Condensed Matter, Debye Institute for NanoMaterials Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|September 27, 2012

Summary

Vacancies surprisingly stabilize crystal phases in hard cube systems, increasing order despite being hard to detect. This study reveals novel insights into vacancy behavior in condensed matter systems.

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

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Area of Science:

Condensed matter physics
Materials science
Computational physics

Background:

Understanding the role of defects, such as vacancies, is crucial for predicting material properties.
Phase transitions in simple model systems provide fundamental insights into complex phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of vacancies on the phase behavior and crystal structure of hard cube systems.
To quantify the impact of vacancy concentration on system ordering.

Main Methods:

Event-driven molecular dynamics simulations
Monte Carlo simulations
Analysis of phase transitions and structural properties

Main Results:

A first-order phase transition was observed between fluid and simple cubic crystal phases.
Vacancies significantly stabilize the crystal phase, with concentrations up to 6.4% near coexistence.
Vacancies were found to increase the positional order within the system.
Delocalized nature of vacancies makes them difficult to detect.

Conclusions:

Vacancies play a critical, structure-enhancing role in the phase behavior of hard cube systems.
The stabilizing effect of vacancies on crystal formation is a key finding.
The delocalized and subtle nature of these vacancies presents detection challenges.