Dynamics of the fcc-to-bcc phase transition in single-crystalline PdCu alloy nanoparticles

Two most common crystal structures in metals and metal alloys are body-centered cubic (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) structures. The phase transitions between these structures play an important role in the production of durable and functional metal alloys. Despite their technological significan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2023-01, Vol.14 (1), p.104-104, Article 104
Main Authors: Jiang, Yingying, Duchamp, Martial, Ang, Shi Jun, Yan, Hongwei, Tan, Teck Leong, Mirsaidov, Utkur
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
119/118
147/143
639/301/357/354
639/301/930/328/2082
Alloys
BCC metals
Crystals
Humanities and Social Sciences
Metals
multidisciplinary
Nanoalloys
Nanoparticles
Nucleation
Phase transitions
Precursors
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Single crystals
Solid phases
Transmission electron microscopy
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Summary:Two most common crystal structures in metals and metal alloys are body-centered cubic (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) structures. The phase transitions between these structures play an important role in the production of durable and functional metal alloys. Despite their technological significance, the details of such phase transitions are largely unknown because of the challenges associated with probing these processes. Here, we describe the nanoscopic details of an fcc-to-bcc phase transition in PdCu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy. Our observations reveal that the bcc phase always nucleates from the edge of the fcc NP, and then propagates across the NP by forming a distinct few-atoms-wide coherent bcc–fcc interface. Notably, this interface acts as an intermediate precursor phase for the nucleation of a bcc phase. These insights into the fcc-to-bcc phase transition are important for understanding solid − solid phase transitions in general and can help to tailor the functional properties of metals and their alloys. Phase transitions in crystals are challenging to study with atomic resolution. Here, the authors reveal that the transition from fcc to bcc occurs across a few-atoms-wide coherent interface, which serves as a precursor phase for the nucleation of the bcc phase.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-022-35325-y