X-ray measurements reveal a crystalline monolayer at the surface of the eutectic liquid Au82Si18, at temperatures above the alloy's melting point. Surface-induced atomic layering, the hallmark of liquid metals, is also found below the crystalline monolayer. The layering depth, however, is threefold greater than that of all liquid metals studied to date. The crystallinity of the surface monolayer is notable, considering that AuSi does not form stable bulk crystalline phases at any concentration and temperature and that no crystalline surface phase has been detected thus far in any pure liquid metal or nondilute alloy. These results are discussed in relation to recently suggested models of amorphous alloys.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1128314DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

crystalline monolayer
8
liquid metals
8
liquid
5
surface
4
surface crystallization
4
crystallization liquid
4
liquid ausi
4
ausi alloy
4
alloy x-ray
4
x-ray measurements
4

Similar Publications

Massive Dirac fermions, which are essential for realizing novel topological phenomena, are expected to be generated from massless Dirac fermions by breaking the related symmetry, such as time-reversal symmetry in topological insulators or crystal symmetry in topological crystalline insulators. Here, we report scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies of α-Bi_{4}I_{4}, which reveals the realization of massive Dirac fermions in the (100) surface states without breaking the time-reversal symmetry. Combined with first-principles calculations, our experimental results indicate that the spontaneous symmetry breaking engenders two nondegenerate edge states at the opposite sides of monolayer Bi_{4}I_{4} after the structural phase transition, imparting mass to the Dirac fermions after taking the interlayer coupling into account.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Electronic ferroelectricity in monolayer graphene moiré superlattices.

Nat Commun

December 2024

Key Laboratory for Quantum Materials of Zhejiang Province, Department of Physics, School of Science, Westlake University, 18 Shilongshan Road, Hangzhou, 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.

Extending ferroelectric materials to two-dimensional limit provides versatile applications for the development of next-generation nonvolatile devices. Conventional ferroelectricity requires materials consisting of at least two constituent elements associated with polar crystalline structures. Monolayer graphene as an elementary two-dimensional material unlikely exhibits ferroelectric order due to its highly centrosymmetric hexagonal lattices.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Effect of Cellulose Nanocrystals on the Molecular Organization, Thermomechanical, and Shape Memory Properties of Gelatin-Matrix Composite Films.

Gels

November 2024

Biopolymer Research & Engineering Laboratory (BIOPREL), Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago 7550000, Chile.

Gelatin is a natural hydrocolloid with excellent film-forming properties, high processability, and tremendous potential in the field of edible coatings and food packaging. However, its reinforcing by materials such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) is often necessary to improve its mechanical behavior, including shape memory properties. Since the interaction between these polymers is complex and its mechanism still remains unclear, this work aimed to study the effect of low concentrations of CNC (2, 6, and 10 weight%) on the molecular organization, thermomechanical, and shape memory properties in mammalian gelatin-based composite films at low moisture content (~10 weight% dry base).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: Today, nanoplastics (NPs) are a growing environmental concern due to their persistence and widespread distribution, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Their ability to transport pollutants makes them particularly dangerous, underscoring the urgent need for effective removal methods. Herein, we report the synthesis of an environmentally friendly material that enables the magnetic removal of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) from aqueous solutions by green chemistry approach.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study introduces novel cospray-dried (Co-SD) formulations of simvastatin, a Nrf2 activator ROCK inhibitor, with l-carnitine as molecular mixtures in various molar ratios for targeted pulmonary inhalation aerosol delivery in pulmonary hypertension, optimized for excipient-free dry powder inhalers (DPIs). The two components were spray-dried at various molar ratios by using different starting feed solution concentrations and process parameters. In addition to comprehensive physicochemical characterization, in vitro aerosol dispersion performance as DPIs using two FDA-approved DPI devices with different shear stress properties, in vitro viability as a function of dose on 2D human pulmonary cellular monolayers and on 3D small airway epithelia human primary cultures at the air-liquid interface (ALI), and in vitro transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) at the ALI were conducted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!