Formation of the structure of gold nanoclusters during crystallization

Abstract

The structure formation in gold nanoparticles 1.6–5.0 nm in diameter is studied by molecular dynamics simulation using a tight-binding potential. The simulation shows that the initial fcc phase in small Au clusters transforms into other structural modifications as temperature changes. As the cluster size increases, the transition temperature shifts toward the melting temperature of the cluster. The effect of various crystallization conditions on the formation of the internal structure of gold nanoclusters is studied in terms of microcanonical and canonical ensembles. The stability boundaries of various crystalline isomers are analyzed. The obtained dependences are compared with the corresponding data obtained for copper and nickel nanoparticles. The structure formation during crystallization is found to be characterized by a clear effect of the particle size on the stability of a certain isomer modification. Nickel and copper clusters are shown to exhibit common features in the formation of their structural properties, whereas gold clusters demonstrate much more complex behavior.