Avalanching strain dynamics during the hydriding phase transformation in individual palladium nanoparticles.

ABSTRACT: Phase transitions in reactive environments are crucially important in energy and information storage, catalysis and sensors. Nanostructuring active particles can yield faster charging/discharging kinetics, increased lifespan and record catalytic activities. However, establishing the causal link between structure and function is challenging for nanoparticles, as ensemble measurements convolve intrinsic single-particle properties with sample diversity. Here we study the hydriding phase transformation in individual palladium nanocubes in situ using coherent X-ray diffractive imaging. The phase transformation dynamics, which involve the nucleation and propagation of a hydrogen-rich region, are dependent on absolute time (aging) and involve intermittent dynamics (avalanching). A hydrogen-rich s

SUBMITTER: Ulvestad A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4682038 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature