Abstract
The present study was aimed at revealing the influence of the mechanical stress induced by water molecule adsorption on the composition of crystalline phases in the ZrO2 + 3 mol% Y2O3-nanoparticles. Three basic methods were used to determine the phase transition: neutron diffraction, Raman microspectroscopic scanning, and X-ray diffraction. The fact of reversible phase-structural β → α transformation and the simultaneous presence of two polymorphic structural modifications (β is the phase of the tetragonal syngony and α of monoclinic syngony in nanosized particles (9 nm)) under normal physical conditions was established by these methods. An assumption was made regarding the connection of the physical mechanism of transformation of the extremely nonequilibrium surface of nanoparticles with electronic exchange of the material of the near-surface layer of nanoparticles with the adsorption layer through donor–acceptor interaction. The principal possibility of creating direct-acting hydroelectric converters based on nanoscale YSZ (Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia) systems due to the reversible character of the considered effect was shown.
Highlights
The experimental data obtained together indicate the realization of a reversible adsorption phase transformation in the nanopowder system under study
Nonstoichiometry is the main factor determining the stability of high-temperature phases
Many researchers believe that the existence of high-temperature ZrO2 phases under normal conditions could be due to the stabilizing effect of impurities
Summary
Due to the development of nanotechnology, the study of subtle structural effects associated with exposure of external physical factors to nanoscale objects has become relevant [1,2]. The adsorption of water on the surface of the nanoparticles leads to the destruction of ZrO2 -ceramics as a result of the propagation of the β → α (tetragonal-monoclinic, T-M) phase transformation from the surface to bulk of the material [2]. This transformation has a martensitic character, i.e., it goes forward at the speed of sound and requires a certain amount of material for the Nanomaterials 2022, 12, 435.
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