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Shape without Structure: An Intriguing Formation Mechanism in the Solvothermal Synthesis of the Phase‐Change Material Sb 2 Te 3
Author(s) -
Saltzmann Tobias,
Bornhöfft Manuel,
Mayer Joachim,
Simon Ulrich
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201500304
Subject(s) - hexagonal crystal system , materials science , amorphous solid , transmission electron microscopy , phase (matter) , nanocrystal , nanotechnology , solvothermal synthesis , phase change , crystallography , mechanism (biology) , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , composite material , engineering physics , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Abstract We introduce a novel solvothermal synthesis of individual single crystalline Sb 2 Te 3 micro‐ and nanocrystals as a model material for phase‐change switching. We identified different intermediates along the reaction path to the final Sb 2 Te 3 hexagonal platelets (HPs) and discuss their forming mechanism. By means of nanodiffraction (ND) in a scanning transmission electron microscope we demonstrate that the intermediates follow a hexagonal shape evolution in the amorphous state. In situ nanomanipulator measurements reveal electrical phase‐change switching properties of the individual Sb 2 Te 3 hexagonal platelets.