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Ligand-Mediated Nucleation and Growth of Palladium Metal Nanoparticles
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Can Ordered Precursors Promote the Nucleation of Solid Solutions?
Caroline Desgranges1, Jerome Delhommelle1
1Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA and Department of Chemistry, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|November 26, 2019
Summary
Researchers discovered a new crystallization mechanism for copper-gold solid solutions. A chemically ordered L1_{2} precursor forms, which is more organized than the final crystal, guiding nucleation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Computational Chemistry
Background:
- Crystallization involves progressive organization.
- Understanding nucleation pathways is crucial for materials design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the nucleation pathway for copper-gold solid solutions.
- To identify novel mechanisms in alloy crystallization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized molecular simulation techniques.
- Analyzed the formation energy of ordered clusters.
Main Results:
- Identified a new nucleation mechanism: liquid→L1_{2} precursor→solid solution.
- Discovered a chemically ordered L1_{2} intermediate.
- The low formation energy of L1_{2} clusters facilitates crystal nucleation.
- Mechanism is composition-dependent, with other ordered phases being precluded.
Conclusions:
- A novel, highly organized intermediate dictates the nucleation pathway for copper-gold solid solutions.
- The findings offer insights into controlling alloy crystallization through precursor phase engineering.
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