Mechanism of halide conversion process of colloidal AgCl microcrystals by Br − ions : I. Observation of the dynamic changes in shape, structure, and composition

Abstract

The mechanism of the halide conversion process in suspension of AgCl microcrystals by bromide ions was studied by electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and electron-beam diffractometry. The typical conversion process after the introduction of Br − was found to consist of more than three distinctive steps. The first step was an almost instantaneous reaction within a few seconds for a surface conversion without apparent morphological change of the original particles. The second step was a very rapid epitaxial growth process of virtually pure AgBr crystals on every corner and partly on the edges of the AgCl cubic microcrystals with dissolution of their own {100} faces, which was finished in about 1 min at 25°C. The third step was a much slower process of about 2 h at 25°C (ca. 5 min at 45°C) for the formation of an AgCl 0.5Br 0.5 solid solution developing from the joints of AgBr guest and AgCl host by simultaneous dissolution of the guests and the hosts. After the complete dissolution of the AgBr guests, a further recrystallization process that formed a solid solution richer in chloride content followed. Finally, the conversion virtually stopped midway to yield double-structured particles of Ag(Cl, Br) shell/AgCl core. However, when the initial molar ratio of [Br −] 0 [AgCl] 0 was so high as to exceed unity, the original AgCl particles were totally decomposed into about eightfold AgBr particles in number. In this case the steps later than the second one were missing. Also, it was suggested from the subsidiary study on open systems, where bromide ions were added continuously, that the kinetics was basically controlled by the deposition rate of the solute of the AgBr component of the growing parts, though it was switched to being limited by the dissolution rate of the host AgCl crystals when their open surface area for dissolution was extremely diminished.