Lattice strain-enhanced exsolution of nanoparticles in thin films.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30931928.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-09395-4 and PMC identifier 6443801.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Nanoparticles formed on oxide surfaces are of key importance in many fields such as catalysis and renewable energy. Here, we control B-site exsolution via lattice strain to achieve a high degree of exsolution of nanoparticles in perovskite thin films: more than 1100 particles μm<sup>-2</sup> with a particle size as small as ~5 nm can be achieved via strain control. Compressive-strained films show a larger number of exsolved particles as compared with tensile-strained films. Moreover, the strain-enhanced in situ growth of nanoparticles offers high thermal stability and coking resistance, a low reduction temperature (550 °C), rapid release of particles, and wide tunability. The mechanism of lattice strain-enhanced exsolution is illuminated by thermodynamic and kinetic aspects, emphasizing the unique role of the misfit-strain relaxation energy. This study provides critical insights not only into the design of new forms of nanostructures but also to applications ranging from catalysis, energy conversion/storage, nano-composites, nano-magnetism, to nano-optics.