Configuration of twins in glass‐embedded silver nanoparticles of various origin

Abstract

AbstractStructural characterization using high resolution electron microscopy and diffractogram analysis of silver nanoparticles embedded in glass by various routes of fabrication was aimed at revealing the characteristic features of twin faults occuring in such particles. Nearly spherical silver nanoparticles well below 10 nm size embedded in commercial soda‐lime silicate float glass have been fabricated either by silver/sodium ion exchange or by Ag+ ion implantation. Twinned nanoparticles, besides single crystalline species, have frequently been observed for both fabrication routes, mainly at sizes above 5 nm, but also at smaller sizes, even around 1 nm. The variety of particle forms comprises single crystalline particles of nearly cuboctahedron shape, particles containing single twin faults, and multiply twinned particles containing parallel twin lamellae, or cyclic twinned segments arranged around axes of fivefold symmetry. Parallel twinning is distinctly favoured by ion implantation whereas cyclic twinning preferably occurs upon ion exchange processing. Regardless of single or repeated twinning, parallel or cyclic twin arrangement, one may classify simple twin faults of regular atomic configuration and compound twin faults whose irregular configuration consists of additional planar defects like associated stacking faults or secondary twin faults. Besides, a particular superstructure composed of parallel twin lamellae of only three atomic layers thickness is observed. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)