title: Nanoparticle Near-Surface Electric Field.
abstract: Theoretical studies show that surface reconstruction in some crystals involves splitting the surface atomic layer into two-upper and lower-sublayers consisting of atoms with only positive or only negative effective electric charges, respectively. In a macroscopic crystal with an almost infinite surface, the electric field induced by such a surface-dipole is practically totally concentrated between the sublayers. However, when the material is powdered and its particles are of sufficiently small sizes, an electric field of a significant magnitude can be induced outside the sublayers as well. We have calculated the distribution of the electric field and its potential induced at the surface of a disc-shaped particle. The suggested novel nanoscale effect explains the increase in physical reactivity of nanopowders with decreasing particle sizes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics, Georgian Technical University, Merab Kostava Avenue 77, 0175, Tbilisi, Georgia. chkharti2003@yahoo.com.|Laboratory for Boron and Powdered Composite Materials, Ferdinand Tavadze Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Alexander Kazbegi Avenue 15, 0160, Tbilisi, Georgia. chkharti2003@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Levan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chkhartishvili
keywords: Nanomaterial; Near-surface electric field; Surface reconstruction
references.citation: J Phys Condens Matter. 2013 Jan 30;25(4):045009
references.pmid: 23249480
references.citation: Phys Rev Lett. 2015 Mar 20;114(11):116102
references.pmid: 25839294
references.citation: Nanoscale. 2015 Dec 7;7(45):18992-7
references.pmid: 26511400