Direct observation of nanowire growth and decomposition.

ABSTRACT: Fundamental concepts of the crystal formation suggest that the growth and decomposition are determined by simultaneous embedding and removal of the atoms. Apparently, by changing the crystal formation conditions one can switch the regimes from the growth to decomposition. To the best of our knowledge, so far this has been only postulated, but never observed at the atomic level. By means of in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy we monitored and examined the atomic layer transformation at the conditions of the crystal growth and its decomposition using CuO nanowires selected as a model object. The atomic layer growth/decomposition was studied by varying an O₂ partial pressure. Three distinct regimes of the atomic layer evolution were experimentally observed: growt

SUBMITTER: Rackauskas S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5615043 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature