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Size Dependent Phase Transformation of Liquid Gallium
Jinyun Liu1,2,3, Lijian Song1, Zidong He1,3
1CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Application Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|October 18, 2023
Summary
Researchers engineered gallium (Ga) crystallization pathways by controlling thermal treatment and droplet size. This study reveals insights into liquid metal phase transitions, crucial for applications in electronics and medicine.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Liquid metals (LMs), particularly gallium (Ga), offer unique fluidic and metallic properties for advanced applications.
- Ga-based LMs are vital in wearable electronics, catalysis, energy, and biomedicine.
- Controlling phase transitions and undercooling in Ga is critical for consistent performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the polymorph selection mechanism during liquid gallium crystallization.
- To understand how thermal treatment and droplet size influence Ga crystallization pathways.
- To explore the relationship between liquid Ga's covalent bonding capability and its phase behavior.
Main Methods:
- Extensive (nano-)calorimetry experiments were conducted.
- Liquid Ga crystallization was analyzed under varied thermal treatments.
- The effect of droplet size on crystallization pathways was systematically studied.
Main Results:
- Crystallization temperature and pathway (α-Ga or β-Ga) were effectively engineered by thermal treatment and droplet size.
- The polymorph selection mechanism was found to be linked to covalent bond formation in supercooled liquid Ga.
- Two distinct crystallization pathways were observed, suggesting the existence of two liquid phases in Ga.
Conclusions:
- Thermal treatment and droplet size are key factors in controlling Ga crystallization polymorphs.
- The findings offer a new understanding of liquid metal phase transitions and undercooling.
- This research paves the way for more reliable applications of Ga-based liquid metals.
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