Growth mechanism and morphology of Ge on Pb covered Si(111) surfaces

We study the mechanism and surface morphology in epitaxial growth of Ge on Pb covered Si(111) using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). We find that Ge adatoms have a very large diffusion length at room temperature. The growth is close to perfect layer-by-layer for the first two bilayers. Surface roughness increases gradually with the film thickness, but no 3D islands are found at room temperature. For growth at 200°C, 3D Ge islands appear after completion of the second bilayer. At room temperature, we believe, the Pb layer enhances surface diffusion and the descending-step motion of Ge adatoms, but the ascending-step motion is hindered and thus 3D island growth is suppressed.     

微量PEO-PS-PEO/PEO共混体系结晶过程中共聚物胶束的成核作用

本工作将Leibler等近期关于含非晶两嵌段共聚物“稀固体溶液”的胶束理论推广并应用到含结晶三嵌段共聚物的“稀固体溶液”.对微量聚氧化乙烯-聚苯乙烯-聚氧化乙烯三嵌段共聚物/聚氧化乙烯均聚物共混体系的结晶行为进行了研究.结果表明,共聚物胶束在共混体系的结晶过程中可以起到成核剂的作用.这对改善结晶均聚物的性能具有一定的应用价值.     

NUCLEATION MECHANISM OF PEO BLOCK IN DOUBLE-CRYSTALLINE POLY（ETHYLENE-co-BUTENE）-b-POLY（ETHYLENE OXIDE） BLOCK COPOLYMERS

In this paper, we proposed a method to determine the nucleation effect of pre-existing crystals on crystallization of the second block in double crystalline block copolymers, which is usually covered by the suppression effect. The nucleation mechanism of poly（ethylene oxide） （PEO） block from the pre-crystallized polyethylene （PE） block in poly（ethylene-cobutene）-b-poly（ethylene glycol） （EmEOn） diblock copolymers was investigated under variable crystallization environments. The crystallization environment for the PEO block was altered by cooling at different cooling rates or successive selfnucleation （SSN） to the PE block. It was found that the presence of nucleation effect is strongly dependent on composition of the block copolymers. The crystallization temperature （Tc） of PEO block in E174EO90 increases as cooling rate applied to the PE block decreases, indicating that PE block can nucleate the crystallization of PEO block and more perfect PE crystals have stronger nucleation effect. In E182EO41 crystallization of the PEO block is confined, shown by the disappearance of selfnucleation domain, and the PE block has no nucleation effect on the crystallization of PEO block. Double crystallization peaks are observed for the PEO block in E182EO41 and the intensity of the crystallization peak at higher temperature increases as the PE crystals become more perfect. After exclusion of homogeneous nucleation mechanism, the higher temperature crystallization peak of the PEO block in E182EO41 is tentatively ascribed to surface nucleation.     

Nucleation-growth kinetics of the oxidation of silver nanocrystals to silver halide crystals

The electrochemical oxidation of silver nanocrystals to silver halide crystals proceeds by a process of nucleation and growth. The mechanism is confirmed by analyzing chronopotentiograms using a new extension of nucleation theory. The theory makes it possible to derive plots of nucleation-growth currents vs potential, and growth rates vs potential, directly from experimental data. Such plots yield powerful insights into the reaction kinetics. In situ AFM imaging reveals that a few thousand of silver nanocrystals are oxidized to only a few tens of silver halide crystals, without pronounced loss of active material. The mechanism of this remarkable process is described in this paper. In particular, it is shown that the decrease in crystal population proceeds via an oversaturated silver solution, i.e., a process that is mediated by “driven” Ostwald ripening across the electrode surface. At the same time, the low solubility of silver species in bulk solution means that few silver ions escape from the surface. This combination of features explains why the transformation from silver to silver halide is near-stoichiometric yet highly reconstructive.Dedicated to our friend and colleague Professor Dr. Alan Bond on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Controlling of Solution Concentration on Nucleation During Hydrothermal Synthesis of Analcime

Hydrothermal experiments of analcime nucleation and glass dissolution were carried out in autoclaves under the conditions of autogeneous pressures, temperatures of 150 °C ～ 210 °C, and 0.25 M ～ 0.75 M NaOH solutions. The curves of the glass dissolution and analcime formation are S‐shaped. Yet, the two curves are essentially parallel to each other. The time required for a complete dissolution of glass or the commencement of analcime formation is shorter when the concentration of NaOH solution or the temperature is higher. The amount of the weight percent of analcime synthesized is obviously less than the glass dissolved at a given time of an experiment. The weight difference between glass dissolved and analcime (dehydrated) formed is calculated to be represented as the solution concentration. During an experiment, the solution concentration increases gradually to a maximum, then decreases slowly to a constant value with time. On the other hand, nucleation is also gradually increased to a maximum, then is decreased finally to zero with time in a bell‐shaped curve. It is clear that nucleation of analcime is mainly controlled by the solution concentration.     

Radiation detection by using superheated droplets

The superheated emulsion, a radiation detector consisting of superheated droplets dispersed in a gel or a solid matrix, has been in use for some time now. It was initially designed to detect neutrons but also has been modified to detect energetic photons and heavy ions. It has been primarily used as a neutron dosimeter, but has also been used to obtain the energy spectrum for neutrons from Am–Be. The general features of the superheated emulsion detector along with newer analytic methods to obtain more precise results using it as an active device will be presented.     

Understanding interactions in zeolite colloidal suspensions: A review

Over the last five years significant progress has been made in understanding interactions in zeolite colloidal suspensions by elucidating the molecular interactions between zeolite crystal surface and species such as water, cations, and organic templates. This is the outcome of multidisciplinary work involving the generation of experimental data concerning the magnitude of ζ-potential, the theoretical and experimental identification of the zeolite crystal surface structure, combined with theoretical models spanning different length scales.     

Hysteresis,nucleation and growth phenomena in spin-crossover solids

The observation and the study of first-order phase transitions in cooperative spin-crossover (SCO) solids exhibiting hysteresis behaviours are of particular interest and currently constitute a burgeoning area in the field of bistable molecular materials. The understanding and the control of the transition mechanisms (nucleation and growth processes) and their dynamics within the hysteresis region appear to be a general and appealing problem from a fundamental point of view and for technological applications as well. This review reports on the recent progresses and most important findings made on the spatiotemporal dynamics of the spin transition in SCO solids, particularly through the universal nucleation and growth process. Both thermally induced and light-induced spin transitions are discussed. We open up this review to the central question of the evolution of the transition mechanisms and dynamics in SCO nano-objects, which constitute promising systems to reach ultra-fast switching, and the experimental issues inherent to such studies at the micro- and nanometric scale.     

The Kinetics of Emulsion Polymerization: Some Controversial Aspects

Abstract

Advances in the study of emulsion polymerization (EP) have allowed the clarification of some aspects of the mechanism and kinetics involved. However, such advances have provided controversial information in other aspects. In this work, the authors give a personal view of the state‐of‐the‐art of some of the most controversial issues of the EP kinetics: particle formation (nucleation) mechanism, particle size distribution, evolution of the rate of polymerization, and free‐radical capture.     

The application of electroanalytical methods to the analysis of phase transitions during intercalation of ions into electrodes

Mechanisms of first-order phase transition induced by electrochemical intercalation of Li ions into composite graphite electrode are studied both theoretically, in the framework of lattice gas models, and experimentally, by a combination of electroanalytical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry, potentiostatic intermittent titration (PITT), galvanostatic intermittent titration (GITT), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). From the analysis of the mismatch between the accessible phase-transition rate constants and the characteristic time windows for various electroanalytical methods, we conclude that only a combined application of these techniques provides sufficient, self-consistent information on the mechanisms of phase transitions in graphite electrodes. The advantages and disadvantages in using these techniques are discussed. PITT with a small potential step is the most appropriate tool for measuring the entire sequence of rate-determining steps of phase transitions as a function of time. The latter technique can be conveniently used for quantitative analysis of slow nucleation and the growth of new phases in the bulk of the old one, followed by the coalescence of nuclei and the formation of phase boundaries between the coexisting phases. The movement of this boundary into the electrode’s bulk has been properly modeled in terms of two alternative models. “Contribution to the International Workshop on Electrochemistry of Electroactive Materials (WEEM-2006), Repino, Russia, 24–29 June 2006.”