Size-dependent stability of ultra-small α-/β-phase tin nanocrystals synthesized by microplasma

Atta Ul Haq (), Sadegh Askari, Anna McLister, Sean Rawlinson, James Davis, Supriya Chakrabarti, Vladimir Svrcek, Paul Maguire, Pagona Papakonstantinou and Davide Mariotti ()
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Atta Ul Haq: Ulster University
Sadegh Askari: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
Anna McLister: Ulster University
Sean Rawlinson: Ulster University
James Davis: Ulster University
Supriya Chakrabarti: Ulster University
Vladimir Svrcek: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology-AIST
Paul Maguire: Ulster University
Pagona Papakonstantinou: Ulster University
Davide Mariotti: Ulster University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Nanocrystals sometimes adopt unusual crystal structure configurations in order to maintain structural stability with increasingly large surface-to-volume ratios. The understanding of these transformations is of great scientific interest and represents an opportunity to achieve beneficial materials properties resulting from different crystal arrangements. Here, the phase transformation from α to β phases of tin (Sn) nanocrystals is investigated in nanocrystals with diameters ranging from 6.1 to 1.6 nm. Ultra-small Sn nanocrystals are achieved through our highly non-equilibrium plasma process operated at atmospheric pressures. Larger nanocrystals adopt the β-Sn tetragonal structure, while smaller nanocrystals show stability with the α-Sn diamond cubic structure. Synthesis at other conditions produce nanocrystals with mean diameters within the range 2–3 nm, which exhibit mixed phases. This work represents an important contribution to understand structural stability at the nanoscale and the possibility of achieving phases of relevance for many applications.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08661-9

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