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Related Concept Videos

Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

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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...
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Ions are atoms or molecules bearing an electrical charge. A cation (a positive ion) forms when a neutral atom loses one or more electrons from its valence shell, and an anion (a negative ion) forms when a neutral atom gains one or more electrons in its valence shell. Compounds composed of ions are called ionic compounds (or salts), and their constituent ions are held together by ionic bonds: electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged cations and anions. 
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Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

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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.
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Substances that undergo either a physical or a chemical change in solution to yield ions that can conduct electricity are called electrolytes. If a substance yields ions in solution, that is, if the compound undergoes 100% dissociation, then the substance is a strong electrolyte. Complete dissociation is indicated by a single forward arrow. For example, water-soluble ionic compounds like sodium chloride dissociate into sodium cations and chloride anions in aqueous solution.
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Bonding in Metals

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Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”. 
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Ionic Bonds00:42

Ionic Bonds

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Overview
When atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration they form ions. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between ions with opposite charges. Ionic compounds are rigid and brittle when solid and may dissociate into their constituent ions in water. Covalent compounds, by contrast, remain intact unless a chemical reaction breaks them.
Opposing Charges Hold Ions Together in Ionic Compounds
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Beyond Rattling: Tetrahedrites as Incipient Ionic Conductors.

Shriparna Mukherjee1, David J Voneshen2,3, Andrew Duff4

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6DX, UK.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|August 15, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Researchers discovered incipient ionic conduction in tetrahedrite, enabling ultralow thermal conductivity without the degradation seen in liquid-like thermoelectric materials.

Keywords:
ionic mobilityquasielastic neutron scatteringrattlingtetrahedritesthermal conductivitiesthermoelectric

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Solid State Physics
  • Thermochemistry

Background:

  • Ultralow thermal conductivity is essential for thermoelectric energy harvesting, thermal barrier coatings, and optoelectronics.
  • Highly mobile ions disrupt phonon propagation, reducing thermal conductivity, but cause material degradation in liquid-like thermoelectric materials.
  • Degradation occurs via ion migration and cathode metal deposition, limiting practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify a new mechanism for achieving ultralow thermal conductivity.
  • To overcome the degradation issues associated with liquid-like thermoelectric materials.
  • To explore the behavior of mobile ions in established thermoelectric materials like tetrahedrite.

Main Methods:

  • Neutron spectroscopy was employed to study ion dynamics.
  • Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to model ion behavior.
  • Analysis focused on copper ion mobility within the tetrahedrite crystal structure.

Main Results:

  • Incipient ionic conduction was identified as a mechanism for ultralow thermal conductivity.
  • Copper ions in tetrahedrite, while mobile above 200 K, remain confined within crystal cages.
  • This confinement prevents the detrimental ion migration and degradation seen in liquid-like materials.

Conclusions:

  • Incipient ionic conduction offers a pathway to ultralow thermal conductivity without material degradation.
  • Tetrahedrite exemplifies a material exhibiting this beneficial behavior.
  • Future material design for thermoelectric applications should consider systems with incipient ionic conduction.