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Nanoscale Behavior and Manipulation of the Phase Transition in Single‐Crystal Cu 2 Se
Author(s) -
Chen Lu,
Liu Jun,
Jiang Chao,
Zhao Kunpeng,
Chen Hongyi,
Shi Xun,
Chen Lidong,
Sun Chenghua,
Zhang Shengbai,
Wang Yong,
Zhang Ze
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201804919
Subject(s) - materials science , nanoscopic scale , phase transition , nanotechnology , phase (matter) , chemical physics , condensed matter physics , crystallography , physics , chemistry , organic chemistry
Phase transition is a fundamental physical phenomenon that has been widely studied both theoretically and experimentally. According to the Landau theory, the coexistence of high‐ and low‐temperature phases is thermodynamically impossible during a second‐order phase transition in a bulk single crystal. Here, the coexistence of two (α and β) phases in wedge‐shaped nanosized single‐crystal Cu 2 Se over a large temperature range are demonstrated. By considering the surface free‐energy difference between the two phases and the shape effect, a thermodynamic model is established, which explicitly explains their coexistence. Intriguingly, it is found that with a precise control of the heating temperature, the phase boundary can be manipulated at atomic level. These discoveries extend the understanding of phase transitions to the nanoscale and shed light on rational manipulation of phase transitions in nanomaterials.