Structural heterogeneities and electronic effects in self-organized core-shell type structures of Sb

T.V. Kulikova, L.A. Bityutskaya, A.V. Tuchin, E.V. Lisov, S.I. Nesterov, A.A. Averin, B.L. Agapov show affiliations and emails
Received 13 July 2017; Accepted 19 September 2017;
Citation: T.V. Kulikova, L.A. Bityutskaya, A.V. Tuchin, E.V. Lisov, S.I. Nesterov, A.A. Averin, B.L. Agapov. Structural heterogeneities and electronic effects in self-organized core-shell type structures of Sb. Lett. Mater., 2017, 7(4) 350-354
BibTex   https://doi.org/10.22226/2410-3535-2017-4-350-354
The new type of core-shell structures of antimony ranging from 10-4 to 10-6 m, obtained in a single-stage process as a result of spontaneous crystallization of the melt at average cooling rates of the melt are 1 – 100 K/second. The structures consist of different forms of the same substance, whereas the core is represented by the mono-crystalline gray antimony and the shell is a deformed two-dimensional film.The paper provides morphological and electro-physical characteristics of the set of structures of the core-shell type of antimony ranging from 10-4 to 10-6 m, obtained in a single-stage process as a result of spontaneous crystallization of the melt. It verifies that the structures obtained can be considered as an example of the new type of core-shell structures in a series of self-organized structures derived from their layered precursor. The structures consist of different forms of the same substance, where the core is represented by mono-crystalline gray antimony and the shell is a deformed two-dimensional film. Based on the overall data obtained, the shell of the structure can be described as a cover film with a variable thickness, which contains structural heterogeneities in the form of antimony allotropes, i.e. defective antimonene nano-layers with a high proportion of boundary atoms and dangling bonds. Structural heterogeneity foster electronic effects such as: localized charge contrast, which occurs when an electron beam is applied; emerging of conductive and non-conducting areas on the surface of the shell; electrostatic interaction of particles; ability of the structures to accumulate an excess charge and retain it for a long time. The change in the properties of the nano-shell of the spheroidal structure of the core-shell type of antimony can be considered as a consequence of its deformed structure.