As I read this story, I thought to myself, "Simply amazing. That these scientists were able to observe this intriguing phenomenon, and that some institution was willing to lay out a significant pile of spondulics for them to discover it." Turns out, there are probably practical applications.
"Clusters of gold atoms form peculiar pyramidal shape" |
EurekAlert! (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-01/kl-cog010320.php)
Quote(https://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/220725_web.jpg)
A model of 20 oranges is compared with the theoretical and experimental structure.
Image Credit: KU Leuven
Clusters composed of a few atoms tend to be spherical. They are usually organized in shells of atoms around a central atom. This is the case for many elements, but not for gold! Experiments and advanced computations have shown that freestanding clusters of twenty gold atoms take on a pyramidal shape. They have a triangular ground plane made up of ten neatly arranged atoms, with additional triangles of six and three atoms, topped by a single atom [see figure where a model of twenty oranges is compared with the theoretical and experimental structure].
The remarkable tetrahedral structure has now been imaged for the first time with a scanning tunnelling microscope. This high-tech microscope can visualise single atoms. It operates at extremely low temperatures (269 degrees below zero) and uses quantum tunnelling of an electrical current from a sharp scanning metallic tip through the cluster and into the support. Quantum tunnelling is a process where electrical current flows between two conductors without any physical contact between them.
The researchers used intense plasmas in a complex vacuum chamber setup to sputter gold atoms from a macroscopic piece of gold. "Part of the sputtered atoms grow together to small particles of a few up to a few tens of atoms, due to a process comparable with condensation of water molecules to droplets," says Zhe Li, the main author of the paper, currently at the Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. "We selected a beam of clusters consisting of exactly twenty gold atoms. We landed these species with one of the triangular facets onto a substrate covered with a very thin layer of kitchen salt (NaCl), precisely three atom layers thick."
[. . .]
The new discovery helps scientists evaluate the catalytic and optical performances of these clusters, which is relevant for designing cluster-based catalyst and optical devices. Recent applications of clusters include utilisation in fuel cells and carbon capture.
[Link to full article. (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-01/kl-cog010320.php)]
That is cool :tellmemore:
I'm hoping Hermes will say that silver takes the shape of a rose or something equally intricate, but I'm guessing it's highly unlikely. :P
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 06, 2020, 03:07:26 AM
That is cool :tellmemore:
I'm hoping Hermes will say that silver takes the shape of a rose or something equally intricate, but I'm guessing it's highly unlikely. :P
No, not unlikely. We have living, walking proof in your own dear self. :love:
Quote from: hermes2015 on January 06, 2020, 03:55:19 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 06, 2020, 03:07:26 AM
That is cool :tellmemore:
I'm hoping Hermes will say that silver takes the shape of a rose or something equally intricate, but I'm guessing it's highly unlikely. :P
No, not unlikely. We have living, walking proof in your own dear self. :love:
Awwwwww.
(https://media1.tenor.com/images/16281daada7684f4cfe664977cee5ef3/tenor.gif?itemid=10594808)
Quote from: hermes2015 on January 06, 2020, 03:55:19 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 06, 2020, 03:07:26 AM
That is cool :tellmemore:
I'm hoping Hermes will say that silver takes the shape of a rose or something equally intricate, but I'm guessing it's highly unlikely. :P
No, not unlikely. We have living, walking proof in your own dear self. :love:
Such a sweet talker you :grin: :blush:
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 06, 2020, 10:45:38 AM
Quote from: hermes2015 on January 06, 2020, 03:55:19 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 06, 2020, 03:07:26 AM
That is cool :tellmemore:
I'm hoping Hermes will say that silver takes the shape of a rose or something equally intricate, but I'm guessing it's highly unlikely. :P
No, not unlikely. We have living, walking proof in your own dear self. :love:
Such a sweet talker you :grin: :blush:
:sidesmile:
Sometimes I regret not going into materials science. I find this sort of thing fascinating.
Hey you, this post is a treasure. On a scale of 1-200, I give it a 196.96657.
Makes me what to play billiards with 20 gold balls (on the table, that is).
Quote from: No one on January 06, 2020, 07:03:17 PM
Hey you, this post is a treasure. On a scale of 1-200, I give it a 196.96657.
:boaterhat: