title: Formation Mechanism of Fe Nanocubes by Magnetron Sputtering Inert Gas Condensation.
abstract: In this work, we study the formation mechanisms of iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) grown by magnetron sputtering inert gas condensation and emphasize the decisive kinetics effects that give rise specifically to cubic morphologies. Our experimental results, as well as computer simulations carried out by two different methods, indicate that the cubic shape of Fe NPs is explained by basic differences in the kinetic growth modes of {100} and {110} surfaces rather than surface formation energetics. Both our experimental and theoretical investigations show that the final shape is defined by the combination of the condensation temperature and the rate of atomic deposition onto the growing nanocluster. We, thus, construct a comprehensive deposition rate-temperature diagram of Fe NP shapes and develop an analytical model that predicts the temporal evolution of these properties. Combining the shape diagram and the analytical model, morphological control of Fe NPs during formation is feasible; as such, our method proposes a roadmap for experimentalists to engineer NPs of desired shapes for targeted applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Junlei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baibuz
authors.affiliation: Nanoparticles by Design Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vernieres
authors.affiliation: Nanoparticles by Design Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grammatikopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.affiliation: Nanoparticles by Design Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinhauer
authors.affiliation: Nanoparticles by Design Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University , 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-Son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan.|Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Al-Quds University , East Jerusalem, P.O. Box 51000, Palestine.
authors.forename: Mukhles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sowwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuronen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Helsinki Institute of Physics, University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 43, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Flyura
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Djurabekova
keywords: Fe nanocubes; inert gas condensation; kinetic Monte Carlo; kinetic effect; molecular dynamics