title: Structure of oxidized bismuth nanoclusters.
abstract: Synchrotron X-ray diffraction has determined that beta-Bi(2)O(3) is the dominant oxide phase covering hexagonal bismuth nanoclusters produced in an inert gas aggregation source. Simulated Debye-Scherrer patterns have indicated that the oxide is 20 +/- 5 Angstroms thick on average, at the surface of 320 +/- 40 Angstroms diameter clusters. A Williamson-Hall analysis of the peak broadening was used to measure the non-uniform strain in clusters. The oxidized clusters were in -0.11 +/- 0.06% uniform compressive strain compared with other clusters without oxides detectable by X-ray diffraction which only have a small tensile uniform strain. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and multislice image simulations indicated a beta-Bi(2)O(3) thickness of 20-50 Angstroms. The HRTEM micrographs show the relative orientation between the oxide and the cluster core.
authors.affiliation: MPT Solutions Ltd, PO Box 38-096, Lower Hutt, New Zealand. k.stevens@mptsolutions.com
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ingham
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Toney
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayesh
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natali