1
|
Chen M, Li Y, Zhu R, Zhu J, He H. Kinetics of Oriented Attachment of Mica Crystals. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:1367-1377. [PMID: 38174702 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Oriented attachment (OA), that is, the coalescence of crystals through attachment on coaligned crystal faces, is a nonclassical crystal growth process. Before attachment, a mesocrystal consisting of coaligned parallel crystals but with liquid separating them was observed. Fundamental questions such as why OA is kinetically favored and whether a mesocrystal stage is a prerequisite for OA are raised. Through combining brute-force molecular dynamics simulations and path samplings based on extensive umbrella simulations, we address these questions with a case study on the OA of a mica nanocrystal onto a mica crystal substrate in water. Brute-force simulations show that if two mica crystals are attached but largely misaligned, coalignment hardly appears. Thus, if OA is possible, then coalignment must appear before the attachment between crystals. Electrophoresis of the nanocrystal toward the substrate surface is spontaneous, but mesocrystal formation is occasional, also shown by brute-force simulations. Free energies along different pathways show that OA is spontaneous and kinetically favored over non-OA, and a mesocrystal formation is just a bifurcation in the pathway. OA is through a pathway in which the nanocrystal is tilted with respect to the substrate. Part of the nanocrystal is attached to the substrate first, and then, OA is gradually completed. Once a mesocrystal is occasionally formed, then a jump event is needed for the nanocrystal to get back to the OA pathway. The sampling technique here can hopefully guide the design of nanostructured materials facilitated by OA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Runliang Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianxi Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hongping He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Institutions of Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| |
Collapse
|