Heterointerface Effect on Two-Step Nucleation Mechanism of Bi Particles

Hyung Joong Kim; Jong Hoon Kim; Jong Seok Jeong; Chang Youn Moon; Sahn Nahm; Ki Min Nam; Jucheol Park; Young Heon Kim

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04966

Heterointerface Effect on Two-Step Nucleation Mechanism of Bi Particles

Nano Lett. 2022 Apr 27;22(8):3252-3259. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04966. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Authors

Hyung Joong Kim¹, Jong Hoon Kim¹, Jong Seok Jeong², Chang Youn Moon³, Sahn Nahm⁴, Ki Min Nam⁵, Jucheol Park⁶, Young Heon Kim¹

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology (GRAST), Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States.
³ Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, 267 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-340, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Geumjwong-gu, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Gumi Electronics and Information Research Institute, Gumi, Kyoungsangbuk-do 136-701, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 35434994
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04966

Abstract

The nucleation and crystallization of Bi particles on two matrices, crystalline bismuth sulfide (c-Bi₂S₃) and amorphized bismuth titanium oxide (a-Bi₁₂TiO₂₀), were studied by using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The atomic structures of the Bi particles were monitored by acquiring high-resolution TEM images in real time. The Bi particles were grown on c-Bi₂S₃ and a-Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ via a two-step nucleation mechanism; dense liquid clusters were clearly observed at the initial stage of nucleation, and the coalescence of clusters was frequently observed during the growth. However, the nucleation and crystallization behaviors of Bi particles were governed by the matrix; in particular, the evolution of their morphology and atomic structure was confined on c-Bi₂S₃ but free from matrix effects on a-Bi₁₂TiO₂₀. The matrix effect on the two-step nucleation mechanism was demonstrated from a thermodynamic point of view.

Keywords: Bi particles; Heterointerface effect; Two-step nucleation mechanism.