Integrating in situ high pressure small and wide angle synchrotron x-ray scattering for exploiting new physics of nanoparticle supercrystals.
Combined small and wide angle synchrotron x-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) techniques have been developed for in situ high pressure samples, enabling exploration of the atomic structure and nanoscale superstructure phase relations. These studies can then be used to find connections between nanoparticle surfaces and internal atomic arrangements. We developed a four-axis control system for the detector, which we then employed for the study of two supercrystals assembled from 5 nm Fe(3)O(4) and 10 nm Au nanoparticles. We optimized the x-ray energy and the sample-to-detector distance to facilitate simultaneous collection of both SAXS and WAXS. We further performed in situ high pressure SAXS and WAXS on a cubic supercrystal assembled from 4 nm wurtzite-structure CdSe nanoparticles. While wurtzite-structure CdSe nanoparticles transform into a rocksalt structure at 6.2 GPa, the cubic superstructure develops into a lamellarlike mesostructure at 9.6 GPa. Nanoparticle coupling and interaction could be enhanced, thus reducing the compressibility of the interparticle spacing above ∼3 GPa. At ∼6.2 GPa, the wurtzite-to-rocksalt phase transformation results in a noticeable drop of interparticle spacing. Above 6.2 GPa, a combined effect from denser CdSe nanoparticle causes the interparticle spacing to expand. These findings could be related to a series of changes including the surface structure, electronic and mechanical properties, and strain distribution of CdSe under pressure. This technique opens the way for exploring the new physics of nanoparticles and self-assembled superlattices.
Wang
Zhongwu
Z
Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Wilson Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. zw42@cornell.edu
Chen
Ou
O
Cao
Charles Y
CY
Finkelstein
Ken
K
Smilgies
Detlef-M
DM
Lu
Xianmao
X
Bassett
William A
WA
D019187:Cadmium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D003461:Crystallography; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D011312:Pressure; D053838:Scattering, Small Angle; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction / Q000295:instrumentation*
D019187:Cadmium Compounds; D018036:Selenium Compounds; C058667:cadmium selenide