Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Hydrogen Charging of Aluminum using Friction in Water
Published on: January 28, 2020
Species fractionation in atomic chains from mechanically stretched alloys
Pedro Alves da Silva Autreto1, Douglas S Galvao, Emilio Artacho
1Institute of Physics Gleb Wataghin, University of Campinas, UNICAMP Cidade Universitaria, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Abstract:
Bettini et al (2006 Nat. Nanotechnol. 1 182-5) reported the first experimental realization of linear atomic chains (LACs) composed of different atoms (Au and Ag). The different contents of Au and Ag were observed in the chains from what was found in the bulk alloys, which raises the question of what the wire composition is, if it is in equilibrium with a bulk alloy. In this work we address the thermodynamic driving force for species fractionation in LACs under tension, and we present the density-functional theory results for Ag-Au chain alloys. A pronounced stabilization of the wires with an alternating Ag-Au sequence is observed, which could be behind the experimentally observed Au enrichment in LACs from alloys with high Ag content.
Related Concept Videos
Mass Spectrometry: Long-Chain Alkane Fragmentation
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching
Mass Spectrometry: Branched Alkane Fragmentation
Metallic Solids
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and...
Mass Spectrometry: Molecular Fragmentation Overview
One type of fragmentation pattern is the cleavage of a single bond in the molecular ion. The cleavage leads to a radical and a cation. The cleavage can occur at...
Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight
The number average molecular weight (Mn) is the summation of the number...

