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Related Concept Videos

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Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
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Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
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Reversible phase transformations between Pb nanocrystals and a viscous liquid-like phase.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Phase transformations are crucial in materials science but challenging to study, especially when induced by solid-liquid reactions.
  • Understanding the mechanisms of these transformations is vital for both fundamental science and applied engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and characterize reversible phase transformations between metal nanocrystals and a liquid-like phase.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms driving these transformations under specific conditions.

Main Methods:

  • In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) was employed to observe the transformations in real-time.
  • Electron current density was modulated to induce and control the reversible phase changes.
  • Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations were used to support experimental observations.

Main Results:

  • Reversible phase transformations between lead (Pb) nanocrystals and a viscous liquid-like phase were successfully demonstrated.
  • The transformations were controlled by varying electron current density (1000–3000 e- Å-2 s-1).
  • The liquid-like phase exhibited short-range ordering with a Pb-Pb distance of 0.5 nm and was identified as a metal-organic product.

Conclusions:

  • The viscous liquid-like phase arises from the reaction of Pb with CH3O fragments from the triethylene glycol solution under electron beam irradiation.
  • This study reveals a novel mechanism for reversible phase transformation in metal nanocrystals.
  • The findings suggest potential broad applications in materials engineering and nanotechnology.