Probing the Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Bismuth Nanoparticles via In-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

The nucleation and growth mechanism of nanoparticles is an important theory,which can guide the preparation of nanomaterials.However,it is still lacking in direct observation on the details of the evolution of intermediate state structure during nucleation and growth.In this work,the evolution process of bismuth nanoparticles induced by electron beam was revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy(TEM)at atomic scale.The experimental results demonstrate that the size,stable surface and crystallographic defect have important influences on the growth of Bi nanoparticles.Two non-classical growth paths including single crystal growth and polycrystalline combined growth,as well as,corresponding layer-by-layer growth mechanism along{012}stable crystal plane of Bi nanoparticles with dodecahedron structure were revealed by in-situ TEM directly.These results provide important guidance and a new approach for in-depth understanding of the nucleation and growth kinetics of nanoparticles.

Single crystal growth and characterization of 166-type magnetic kagome metals

Kagome magnets were predicted to be a good platform to investigate correlated topology band structure,Chern quantum phase,and geometrical frustration due to their unique lattice geometry.Here we reported single crystal growth of 166-type kagome magnetic materials,including HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6),GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6),by using the flux method with Sn as the flux.Among them,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)and ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)single crystals were grown for the first time.X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that all four samples crystallize in HfFe6Ge6-type hexagonal structure with space group P6/mmm.All samples show metallic behavior from temperature dependence of resistivity measurements,and the dominant carrier is hole,except for GdV6Sn6 which is electron dominated.All samples have magnetic order with different transition temperatures,HfMn_(6)Sn_(6),ZrMn_(6)Sn_(6)and GdV_(6)Sn_(6)are antiferromagnetic with TN of 541 K,466 K and 4 K respectively,while GdMn_(6)Sn_(6)is ferrimagnetic with the critical temperature of about 470 K.This study will enrich the research platform of magnetic kagome materials and help explore the novel quantum phenomena in these interesting materials.The dataset of specific crystal structure parameters for HfMn_(6)Sn_(6)are available in Science Data Bank,with the link.

Single crystal growth and transport properties of narrow-bandgap semiconductor RhP_(2)

We report the growth of high-quality single crystals of RhP_(2),and systematically study its structure and physical properties by transport,magnetism,and heat capacity measurements.Single-crystal x-ray diffraction reveals that RhP_(2) adopts a monoclinic structure with the cell parameters a=5.7347(10)A,b=5.7804(11)A,and c=5.8222(11)A,space group P2_(1)/c(No.14).The electrical resistivityρ(T)measurements indicate that RhP_(2) exhibits narrow-bandgap behavior with the activation energies of 223.1 meV and 27.4 meV for two distinct regions,respectively.The temperaturedependent Hall effect measurements show electron domain transport behavior with a low charge carrier concentration.We find that RhP_(2) has a high mobilityμ_(e)~210 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1)with carrier concentrations n_(e)~3.3×10^(18)cm^(3) at 300 K with a narrow-bandgap feature.The high mobilityμ_(e) reaches the maximum of approximately 340 cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1)with carrier concentrations n_^(e)~2×10^(18)cm^(-3)at 100 K.No magnetic phase transitions are observed from the susceptibilityχ(T)and specific heat C_(p)(T)measurements of RhP_(2).Our results not only provide effective potential as a material platform for studying exotic physical properties and electron band structures but also motivate further exploration of their potential photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

In situ observation of austenite grain growth behavior in the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone of Ti-microalloyed steels

The austenite grain growth behavior in a simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone during thermal cycling was investigated via in situ observation. Austenite grains nucleated at ferrite grain boundaries and then grew in different directions through movement of grain boundaries into the ferrite phase. Subsequently, the adjacent austenite grains impinged against each other during the α→γtransformation. After the α→γ transformation, austenite grains coarsened via the coalescence of small grains and via boundary migration between grains. The growth process of austenite grains was a continuous process during heating, isothermal holding, and cooling in simulated thermal cycling. Abundant finely dispersed nanoscale TiN particles in a steel specimen containing 0.012wt% Ti effectively retarded the grain boundary migration, which resulted in refined austenite grains. When the Ti concentration in the steel was increased, the number of TiN particles de- creased and their size coarsened. The big particles were not effective in pinning the austenite grain boundary movement and resulted in coarse austenite grains.

Polymorphism of D-mannitol:Crystal structure and the crystal growth mechanism

The polymorphism of D-Mannitol(mannitol) is reviewed in this paper. It was found that the structure of the stable form is consistent in most literatures, but different authors have given different information about the two metastable forms. Therefore the commonly used nomenclature of mannitol was summarized based on the crystal unit cell parameters with the help of X-ray powder diffraction. Moreover, the crystal growth mechanism of mannitol polymorphs was summarized. Considering the lack of kinetic data for the metastable form especially, a reported method was attempted to apply to δ mannitol in an aqueous cooling crystallization process based on the induction time previously measured, and it was identified that the growth of the δ form follows the two-dimensional(2D) nucleationmediated mechanism. The results also indicate that the method based on induction time and supersaturation should have the potential to be expanded to the metastable polymorphs for the growth property study in a bulk system.

Growth of Hydroxyapatite Crystal in the Presence of Origanic Film

The growth of hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystal in the presence of hexadecylamine was investigated. Due to its high polarity and high charge density, the organic film could increase the ion supersaturation on its surface. Therefore the growth of pure HAp crystals was accelerated. Moreover, the positive headgroups of the organic film could act as recognized nucleation sites and orient the growth of HAp crystals along the <0001> direction.

Isothermal Growth Kinetics of Ultra-fine Austenite Grains in a Nb-V-Ti Microalloyed Steel

Ultra-fine austenite grains with size of i-3 μm were prepared in a Nb-V-Ti steel through repetitive treatment of rapid heating and quenching. A model for the growth kinetics of these ultra-fine austenite grains was successfully created through successive 2 processes, and the activation energy Q for growth was estimated to be about 693.2 kJ/mol, which directly shows the inhibition effect of microalloy elements on the growth of ultra-fine austenite grains.

FEM simulations and experimental studies of the temperature field in a large diamond crystal growth cell

We investigate the temperature field variation in the growth region of a diamond crystal in a sealed cell during the whole process of crystal growth by using the temperature gradient method （TGM） at high pressure and high temperature （HPHT）. We employ both the finite element method （FEM） and in situ experiments. Simulation results show that the temperature in the center area of the growth cell continues to decrease during the process of large diamond crystal growth. These results are in good agreement with our experimental data, which demonstrates that the finite element model can successfully predict the temperature field variations in the growth cell. The FEM simulation will be useful to grow larger high-quality diamond crystal by using the TGM. Furthermore, this method will be helpful in designing better cells and improving the growth process of gem-quality diamond crystal.

Crack growth behavior of SRR99 single crystal superalloy under thermal fatigue

The thermal fatigue behavior of a single crystal superalloy SRR99 was investigated. Specimens with V-type notch were tested at the peak temperatures of 900, 1000, and 1100℃. The crack growth curves as a function of the number of cycles were plotted. With the increase of peak temperature, the crack initiation life was shortened dramatically. Through optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） observation, it was found that multiple small cracks nucleated at the notch tip region but only one or two of them continued to develop in the following thermal cycles. The primary cracks generally propagated along a preferential direction. Microstructure changes after thermal fatigue were also discussed on the basis of SEM observation.

Growth Pattern and Its Indication of Spheroidal Nano-Micro Crystal Aggregates of Pyrite in the Baiyunpu Pb-Zn Polymetallic Deposit, Central Hunan

The Baiyunpu deposit lies in the southwest plunging Dachengshan anticline in central Hunan, which is a large Pb-Zn polymetallic deposit. The orebodies were surrounded by the Qiziqiao Formation limestone in the Middle Devonian, and its geological occurrence is consistent with the wall rocks. A large number of spheroidal pyrite aggregates are found unevenly distributed in the ores. The spheroidal aggregates are made up of kernels and concentric rings. The kernels are composed of approximately epigranular pyrite nanocrystals, while the rings are composed of accumulated pyrite microcrystals growing along the radial direction. The spheroidal pyrite aggregate and its outer zones can be divided into five areas（A–E）. The results of electron probe micro analysis（EPMA） show that from the zone A1 to B, Co/Ni 〈1, the sum of Co and Ni is 0.08%–0.26%, S/Fe increases from 2.06 to 2.15. While from the zone C to E, Ni cannot be detected and S/Fe decreases from 2.22 to 2.08. Powder X-ray diffraction（XRD） analysis in the micro zone shows obvious crystalline characteristics in the aggregates. Moving from the inside outwards, the maximum diffraction peak intensity of the（111） and（220） crystal planes of pyrite increases, and the crystallinity improves. The degree of change in the（111） plane is the most prominent. Considering the theory of crystal growth along with the geologic features of the depositional environment where the spheroidal pyrite aggregates developed, we confirm that the spheroidal aggregates are the result of nano-micro crystalline gathering and growth occurring by the following sequence of processes：nano-crystalline nucleation and growth, gathering into a ball, oriented growth of microcrystals, continuous accumulation, and adjustment of grain boundaries. The formation of the spheroidal pyrite aggregates in the late Qiziqiao Formation of the Middle Devonian occurred in a neutral to weak alkaline and reductive sedimentary environment in the normal oxygen-rich shallowwater carbonate platform edge. The variations in the S/Fe ratio and crystallisation characteristics indicate that during pyrite crystal growth, the sulphur fugacity was high locally and rose constantly, the degree of supersaturation decreased locally and the growth environment was stable relatively.

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of p-type polycrystalline SnSe by regulating the anisotropic crystal growth and Sn vacancy

Thermoelectric selenides have attracted more and more attentions recently.Herein,p-type Sn Se polycrystalline bulk materials with good thermoelectric properties are presented.By using the SnSe2 nanostructures synthesized via a wetchemistry route as the precursor,polycrystalline Sn Se bulk materials were successfully obtained by a combined heattreating process under reducing atmosphere and following spark plasma sintering procedure.As a reference,the Sn Se nanostructures synthesized via a wet-chemistry route were also fabricated into polycrystalline bulk materials through the same process.The thermoelectric properties of the Sn Se polycrystalline transformed from SnSe2 nanostructures indicate that the increasing of heattreating temperature could effectively decrease the electrical resistivity,whereas the decrease in Seebeck coefficient is nearly invisible.As a result,the maximum power factor is enhanced from 5.06×10^-4W/m·K^2 to 8.08×10^-4W/m·K^2 at 612℃.On the other hand,the reference sample,which was obtained by using Sn Se nanostructures as the precursor,displays very poor power factor of only 1.30×10^-4W/m·K^2 at 537℃.The x-ray diffraction（XRD）,scanning electron microscope（SEM）,x-ray fluorescence（XRF）,and Hall effect characterizations suggest that the anisotropic crystal growth and existing Sn vacancy might be responsible for the enhanced electrical transport in the polycrystalline Sn Se prepared by using SnSe2 precursor.On the other hand,the impact of heat-treating temperature on thermal conductivity is not obvious.Owing to the boosting of power factor,a high z T value of 1.07 at 612℃ is achieved.This study provides a new method to synthesize polycrystalline Sn Se and pave a way to improve the thermoelectric properties of polycrystalline bulk materials with similar layered structure.

The effect of far field flow on a spherical crystal growth in the undercooled melt

The effect of convective flow on a spherical crystal growth in the undercooled melt with a moderate far field flow is studied. The asymptotic solution of the evolution of the interface of the spherical crystal growth is obtained by the matched asymptotic expansion method. The analytic result shows that the convective flow in the undercooled melt has a strong effect on the evolution of spherical crystal growth. The convective flow induced by the far field flow makes the interface of the growing spherical crystal enhance its growth velocity in the upstream direction of the far field flow and inhibit growth in the downstream direction, and the interface of the decaying spherical crystal further decay in the upstream direction and inhibit decay in the downstream direction. The maximum growth velocity of the interface of the spherical crystal influenced by the far field flow is obtained.

Phase Diagram, Growth and Optical Property of the LaBWO_6 Crystal

The phase diagram, growth and optical property of LaBWO6 crystal are reported. LaBWO6 crystal melts congruently at 1078 ℃. Based on the pseudo-ternary phase diagram of LaBWO6-（Li2WO4/LiF） -B203, the LaBWO6 crystals have been firstly grown by the flux method. LaBWO6 crystal crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P222 with a = 4.1, b = 10.31 and c = 21.71 A. LaBWO6 Crystal exhibits high transparency in a range from 327 to 1100 nm. The absorption edge of the crystal in the UV range is at 293 nm. The SHG efficient of LaBWO6 crystal is 0.3 times as large as that of the KDP crystal.

Effect of 6H-SiC crystal growth shapes on thermo-elastic stress in the growing crystal

The effect of 6H-SiC crystal growth shapes on the thermo-elastic stress distribution in the growing crystal was systematically in- vestigated by using a finite element method. The thermo-elastic stress distribution in the crystal with a flat growth shape was more homoge- neous than that in the crystals with concave and convex growth shapes, and the value of thermo-elasticity in the crystal with a fiat growth shape was also smaller than that in the two other types of crystals. The maximum values of thermo-elastic stress appeared at interfaces be- tween the crystal and the graphite lid. If the lid was of the same properties as 6H-SiC, the thermo-elastic stress would decrease in two orders of magnitude. Thus, to grow 6H-SiC single crystals of high quality, a transition layer of SiC formed by deposition or reaction is suggested; meanwhile the thermal field in the growth chamber should be adjusted to maintain the crystals with fiat growth shapes.

Synthesis, Growth and Characterization of Organic Nonlinear Optical Single Crystals of 4-Bromo-4’-Methyl Benzylidene Aniline

Organic nonlinear optical material of 4-bromo-4’-methyl benzylidene aniline (BMBA) was synthesized and single crystal of BMBA was grown by solvent evaporation method at room temperature using ethanol as solvent. The crystalline nature of the grown crystals was confirmed using powder X-ray diffraction studies. The crystals were also characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction method and their lattice parameters were determined. Thermal properties of BMBA were evaluated with thermogravimetric, differential thermal and differential scanning calorimetric analyses. Fourier transform infrared and FT-Raman spectral studies were carried out on the BMBA material to confirm the synthesized compound. 1H and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectral studies were recorded to elucidate the structure of the grown crystals. Fluorescence spectrum recorded shows a peak at 485 nm. UV-Vis-NIR spectral analysis shows transmittance of ~92% in the visible region. The mechanical stability was analyzed by Vickers microhardness tester and the work hardening coefficient of the grown crystal was calculated. Second harmonic generation efficiency of the grown crystal measured by Kurtz powder technique is ~1.8 times that of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate.

Advances of the Vertical Directional Solidification Technique for the Growth of High Quality GaSb Bulk Crystals

Advantages of the detached phenomena have influenced researchers to modify the conventional methods to promote it on the earth. Since 1994, the vertical directional solidification （VDS） technique has been employed for the growth of bulk crystals, without the seed, without contact to the ampoule wall, without coating and without external pressure. An automated furnace was designed and fabricated for the controlled temperature gradients, growth conditions and parameters. The typical ingots growths of GaSb have shown the gap of 20 μm-145 μm and mobility μn = 1125 cm^2/V.sec at 300 K. Mobility is highest and five times larger than the attached growths. Dislocation density is the order of 104/cm2 in the conical region, decreases in the direction of growth, and in many crystals reached less than 103/cm2. The spontaneous gap formation due to the meniscus depends on the pressure differences and thermal state. GaSb grown ingots have shown progress in the properties of crystal grown ever, and attributed to reduce thermal stress without contact to the ampoule wall.

Growth,Structure,and Spectroscopic Characteristics of the Nd^(3+):LiGd(WO_4)_2 Crystal

The Nd^3＋：LiGd（WO4） 2 crystal with dimensions of 25mm×28mm×16mm was grown by the top-seeded solution growth method from the 60 mol% Li2W2O7 flux. LiGd（WO4） 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal system with space group I41/a（C4h^6） and cell parameters： a = 5.1986 and c = 11.2652A. The hardness is about 5.0 Mohs＇ scale. The specific heat is 0.40 J·g^-1·K^-1 at 50 oC. The thermal expansion coefficients for a-and c-axes are 1.314×10^-5 and 2.052×10^-5 K^-1,respectively. The room-temperature polarized absorption and emission spectra and the fluorescence decay curve was measured. The parameters of oscillator strengths,the spontaneous transition probabilities,the fluorescence branching ratios,the radiative lifetimes,and the emission cross sections have been investigated based on Judd-Ofelt theory and Füchtbauer-Ladenburg method. The absorption cross-section is 5.19×10^-20 cm^2 at 805 nm for π-polarization and its line width is 15 nm; the emission cross section is 1.726×10^-19 cm^2 at 1060.5 nm for π-polarization. The fluorescence and radiative lifetimes are 86 and 158 μs,respectively. The fluorescence quantum efficiency is 54.43%.

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Plant Growth Regulatory Activity of 1-(3-Amino-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one

The title compound 1-（3-amino-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl）-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one（3） was synthesized by Hofmann-alkylation reaction of 1-chloro-3,3-dimethyl-butan-2-one（1） and ~1H-[1,2,4]triazol-3-ylamine（2） with equal amount of K_2CO_3 as acid acceptor. The structure of compound 3 was characterized by ~1H NMR, 13 C NMR, HRMS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P21/n with a = 5.7227（8）, b = 27.924（4）, c = 6.2282（7） ？, β = 101.892（11）°, V = 973.9（2） ？~3, Z = 4, T = 180.00（10） K, μ（MoKα） = 0.087 mm^（-1）, Dc = 1.243 g/cm^3, 3832 reflections measured（3.648≤θ≤26.022°）, 1916 unique reflections（Rint = 0.0359, Rsigma = 0.0572） used in all calculations. The final R = 0.0557（I 〉 2σ（I）） and w R = 0.1276（all data）. Bioassay showed that 3 displayed excellent activity as plant growth regulator with inducing lateral root formation and enhancing primary root elongation at 0.27 mmol/L（50 ppm） in soybeen（He Feng-50）. Good water solubility was found with 50 mg in 1 m L of water. Therefore, application of 3 in agriculture is more environmentally friendly due to cosolvent-free condition, and results in improved abiotic-stress tolerance by affecting the root growth. And furthermore, it can be used as a precursor to investigate the function of regulating plant root growth.

INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL MAGNETIC FIELD ON THE FLOW FIELD IN MOLTEN SEMICONDUCTOR OF CZOCHRALSKI CRYSTAL GROWTH——A NUMERICAL SIMULATION

Numerical results show that an external magnetic field may influence significantly the flow pattern in the molten semiconductor of Czochralski crystal growth. The melt flow could be pronouncedly damped by a magnet. ic field with the intensity of several thousands Gauss, while the temperature field is affected only in a less extent by the magnetic field.

The influence of chromium ions on the growth of the calcium hydroxyapatite crystal

Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is widely used as bio-ceramic materials and as adsorbents for separation of bio-molecules. These materials have also been used as adsorbents for heavy metals, supports and as catalysts in oxidation and dehydrogenation reactions. The catalytic performance of these materials depend on the lattice substitution of Ca sites in Hydroxyapatite structure by varied cations as Na, Mg, Sr and Mn, which result in changes in various structural pro perties as crystallinity and morphology. Pure calcium hydroxyapatite (S1) and Cr loaded hydroxyl apatite (S2, S3, S4 and S5) of different chromium concentrations have been prepared by wet precipitated method. An in-vitro examination is essential to investigate the mechanism of the deficient HA and tissue interface reaction by preparing SBF (Simulated Body Fluid) through the elemental and chemical analysis of Ca, P and Cr. FTIR used to analyze the samples after incubation in SBF for 24 day. PH of the samples also was measured at the first period of immersion time. At high loading of chromium ions, the formation of carbonate apatite decrease. The concentrations of the chromium in the Cr_HA crystal during the soaking in SBF are very safe dose for human.