title: Neutron diffraction study of the size-induced tetragonal to monoclinic phase transition in zirconia nanocrystals.
abstract: Accurate neutron powder diffraction experiments at several temperatures allow one to monitor the reconstructive tetragonal to monoclinic phase transition as a function of the size of zirconia nanoparticles. The structure of the tetragonal phase observed in the nanocrystals is identical to that observed in micrometric zirconia above 1400 K. A uniaxial strain depending on grain size is observed. The phase transition occurs above a threshold crystal size. These results are analyzed within the Landau theory and can be understood as a mechanism of size-dependent phase transition where the primary order parameter is altered by the nanoparticle size.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Structures, Propriétés et Modélisation des Solides, UMR CNRS 8580 Ecole Centrale Paris, F-92295 Châtenay Malabry, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baldinozzi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simeone
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gosset
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dutheil