Structural and electronic analysis of the atomic scale nucleation of Ag on α-Ag2WO4 induced by electron irradiation

• DOI: 10.1038/srep05391
• Publication Date: 2014-06-23T09:10:25Z
• Authors: Juan Andrés; Lourdes Gracia; Patricio Gonzalez...; Valeria M. Longo; Waldir Avansi; Diogo P. Volanti; Mateus M. Ferrer; Pablo S. Lemos; Felipe A. La Porta; Antonio C. Hernandes; Elson Longo
• Keywords: Atomic units; Electron beam processing

In this work, we utilise a combination of theory, computation and experiments to understand the early events related nucleation Ag filaments on α-Ag2WO4 crystals, which is driven by an accelerated electron beam from microscope under high vacuum. The growth process chemical composition elemental distribution in these were analysed depth at nanoscale level using TEM, HAADF, EDS XPS; structural electronic aspects systematically studied first-principles structure theory within QTAIM framework. formation result order/disorder effects generated crystal electron-beam irradiation. Both experimental theoretical results show that behavior associated with changes [AgO2] [AgO4] clusters and, minor extent, [WO6] cluster; collectively represent constituent building blocks α-Ag2WO4.