Elementary Composite Binary and Grain Alignment Locked in Dust Growth

Planets are known to grow out of a star-encircling disk of the gas and dust inherited from an interstellar cloud; their formation is thought to begin with coagulation of submicron dust grains into aggregates, the first foundational stage of planet formation. However, with nanoscale and submicron solids unobservable directly in the interstellar medium (ISM) and protoplanetary disks, how dust grains grow is unclear, as are the morphology and structure of interstellar grains and the whereabouts and form of “missing iron.” Here we show an elementary composite binary in 3D sub-10 nm detail—and the alignments of its two subunits and nanoinclusions and a population of elongated composite grains locked in a primitive cosmic dust particle—noninvasively uncovered with phase-contrast X-ray nanotomography. The binary comprises a pair of oblate, quasi-spheroidal grains whose alignment and shape meet the astrophysical constraints on polarizing interstellar grains. Each member of the pair contains a high-density core of octahedral nanocrystals whose twin relationship is consistent with the magnetite’s diagnostic property at low temperatures, with a mantle exhibiting nanoscale heterogeneities, rounded edges, and pitted surfaces. This elongated binary evidently formed from an axially aligned collision of the two similar composite grains whose core–mantle structure and density gradients are consistent with interstellar processes and astronomical evidence for differential depletion. Our findings suggest that the ISM is threaded with dust grains containing preferentially oriented iron-rich magnetic nanocrystals that hold answers to astronomical problems from dust evolution, grain alignment, and the structure of magnetic fields to planetesimal growth.

Self-Assembly of Nickel Icosahedrons and Truncated Octahedral Nanocrystals on a SrTiO3 (111) Support

Nickel nanocrystals have received much attention for their ferromagnetic properties. The crystal properties are strongly dependent on their facets and therefore detailed study of their morphology, facets and orientation is critical for magnetic applications. In this work, equilibrium crystal shapes of self-assembled nickel nanocrystals on the (111) termination of strontium titanate (SrTiO3) at room temperature and under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions have been investigated using scanning tunneling microscope (STM). SrTiO3 (111) substrate was sputtered (0.5 keV, 2.5 µA, 10 min) and annealed (900 °C, 1 h) under UHV conditions. Three different periodicities were observed: (2.21 ± 0.01) nm corresponding to (4 × 4) reconstruction, (3.31 ± 0.02) nm corresponding to (6 × 6) reconstruction, and (2.85 ± 0.05) nm, rotated at 30° with respect to (4 × 4) reconstruction, corresponding to (3√3 × 3√3)R30° reconstruction. Nickel (~1 ML) was deposited using an e-beam evaporator on the substrate preheated to 320 °C and the sample was post-annealed multiple times. Nickel took platonic shapes of supported icosahedron comprising of (111) facets and truncated octahedron comprising of (001) and (111) facets. Based on surface energy ratios of truncated octahedrons at equilibrium the work of adhesion was calculated to be (3.889 ± 0.167) J/m2.

Pt–Co truncated octahedral nanocrystals: a class of highly active and durable catalysts toward oxygen reduction

Pt–Co truncated octahedral nanocrystals were synthesized and evaluated as a class of highly active and durable catalysts toward oxygen reduction.

Size dependent oxygen reduction and methanol oxidation reactions: catalytic activities of PtCu octahedral nanocrystals

Synthesis of PtCu octahedral nanocatalysts with controlled size and strain exhibit excellent oxygen reduction reaction, but leads to higher onset over-potentials in methanol oxidation reaction and CO-stripping.