Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of interface reactions

Abstract

In the introductory section the systematics of equilibrium and non-equilibrium interfaces which can be stationary or moving are pointed out. The basic thermodynamic features of interfaces, particularly with respect to its electrical structure, is briefly treated in section II. The main emphasis is laid on the kinetics of resting (stationary) and of moving interfaces in section III. The similarities with electrodes in electrochemistry are pointed out for ionic crystals. Special models are discussed which are constructed to explain the interface kinetics in heterogeneous solid-state reactions, e.g. cation reconstructive rearrangement in close-packed oxygen anion sublattices. Point defect fluxes to and from the interface and defect relaxation processes in the interface region may also influence the kinetics of the heterogeneous reactions decisively. Section IV is devoted to the discussion of the moving boundary in phase transformation, which in a sense is the most simple heterogeneous solid-state reaction. Silver chalcogenides serve as experimental examples. Finally, the morphological stability of moving interfaces is studied experimentally and theoretically on a (phenomenological) macroscopic and a submicroscopic (atomistic) scale in section V.