Cubic to tetragonal phase transformation in cold-compressed Pd nanocubes.

Guo, Qixun; Zhao, Yusheng; Mao, Wendy L; Wang, Zhongwu; Xiong, Yujie; Xia, Younan · Nano Lett · 2008

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Pd nanocubes with an average side length of approximately 10 nm were compressed up to 24.8 GPa in a diamond-anvil cell (DAC). In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction was used to monitor structural changes, and a face-centered cubic (fcc) to face-centered tetragonal (fct) distortion was observed for the first time. This novel discovery not only provides new insights into the pressure-induced behavior of faceted nanocrystals of palladium and other noble metals but also gives guidance for finding new phases in close-packed metals.