DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Direction-specific interaction forces underlying zinc oxide crystal growth by oriented attachment

Journal Article · · Nature Communications

Here, crystallization by particle attachment is impacting our understanding of natural mineralization processes and holds promise for novel materials design. When particles assemble in crystallographic registry, expulsion of the intervening solvent and particle coalescence is enabled by near-perfect co-alignment via interparticle forces that remain poorly quantified. Here we report measurement and simulation of these nanoscale aligning forces for the ZnO(0001)-ZnO(000¯1) system in aqueous solution. Dynamic force spectroscopy using nanoengineered single crystal probes reveals an attractive force with 60o rotational periodicity. Calculated distance and orientation-dependent potentials of mean force show several attractive free energy wells distinguished by numbers of intervening water layers, which reach a minimum when aligned. The calculated activation energy to separate the attractively bound solvated interfaces perfectly reproduces the measured 60o periodicity, revealing the key role of intervening water structuring as a basis to generate the interparticle torque that completes alignment and enables coalescence.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1414550
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-127665; 49383; 47824; KC0302060
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 8, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 58 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (98)

Direction-Specific Interactions Control Crystal Growth by Oriented Attachment journal May 2012
Aggregation-Based Crystal Growth and Microstructure Development in Natural Iron Oxyhydroxide Biomineralization Products journal August 2000
Building Hematite Nanostructures by Oriented Attachment journal November 2010
Colloidal CdSe Quantum Wires by Oriented Attachment journal April 2006
Mesocrystals: Inorganic Superstructures Made by Highly Parallel Crystallization and Controlled Alignment journal November 2005
Competing Forces in the Self-Assembly of Coupled ZnO Nanopyramids journal February 2015
Nanoforest of Hydrothermally Grown Hierarchical ZnO Nanowires for a High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell journal February 2011
Rapid Response High Temperature Oxygen Sensor Based on Titanium Doped Gallium Oxide journal January 2020
Self-assembly of nanoparticles into biomimetic capsid-like nanoshells journal November 2016
Formation of ZnTe Nanowires by Oriented Attachment journal August 2007
Single Crystal Manganese Oxide Multipods by Oriented Attachment journal November 2005
Mesocrystals-Ordered Nanoparticle Superstructures journal August 2009
Designing PbSe Nanowires and Nanorings through Oriented Attachment of Nanoparticles journal May 2005
Adhesion and short-range forces between surfaces. Part II: Effects of surface lattice mismatch journal October 1990
Adhesion forces between surfaces in liquids and condensable vapours journal February 1992
PtM (M=Cu, Co, Ni, Fe) Nanocrystals: From Small Nanoparticles to Wormlike Nanowires by Oriented Attachment journal November 2012
ZnO nanowire and nanobelt platform for nanotechnology journal April 2009
Stability of Polar Oxide Surfaces journal April 2001
Atomistic simulation of dislocations, surfaces and interfaces in MgO journal January 1996
19·9%-efficient ZnO/CdS/CuInGaSe 2 solar cell with 81·2% fill factor
  • Repins, Ingrid; Contreras, Miguel A.; Egaas, Brian
  • Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, Vol. 16, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.822
journal May 2008
Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays journal April 2006
Spontaneous Room Temperature Elongation of CdS and Ag 2 S Nanorods via Oriented Attachment journal September 2009
Ultrathin PbS Sheets by Two-Dimensional Oriented Attachment journal July 2010
Attachment of nanoparticles to the AFM tips for direct measurements of interaction between a single nanoparticle and surfaces journal June 2007
p -ZnO/n-GaN heterostructure ZnO light-emitting diodes journal May 2005
Ultrafine Single-Crystalline Gold Nanowire Arrays by Oriented Attachment journal July 2007
A Multistep Oriented Attachment Kinetics:  Coarsening of ZnS Nanoparticle in Concentrated NaOH journal October 2006
Surface Enthalpies of Nanophase ZnO with Different Morphologies journal November 2007
Kinetics of the self-assembly of nanocrystal superlattices measured by real-time in situ X-ray scattering journal March 2016
Single Crystal Manganese Oxide Multipods by Oriented Attachment. journal January 2006
Real-Time Imaging of Pt3Fe Nanorod Growth in Solution journal May 2012
Light-controlled self-assembly of non-photoresponsive nanoparticles journal July 2015
Kinetic study on photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Acid Yellow 23 by ZnO photocatalyst journal May 2006
Hydration repulsion between biomembranes results from an interplay of dehydration and depolarization journal August 2012
Force measurements with the atomic force microscope: Technique, interpretation and applications journal October 2005
Formation of ZnTe Nanowires by Oriented Attachment journal August 2007
Fabrication of sharp tungsten-coated tip for atomic force microscopy by ion-beam sputter deposition journal November 2011
Imperfect Oriented Attachment: Dislocation Generation in Defect-Free Nanocrystals journal August 1998
Attraction between hydrated hydrophilic surfaces journal August 2014
Direction-Specific Interactions Control Crystal Growth by Oriented Attachment journal May 2012
Nanoforest of Hydrothermally Grown Hierarchical ZnO Nanowires for a High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell journal February 2011
Mesocrystals: Inorganic Superstructures Made by Highly Parallel Crystallization and Controlled Alignment journal November 2005
Aggregation-Based Crystal Growth and Microstructure Development in Natural Iron Oxyhydroxide Biomineralization Products journal August 2000
Crystallization by particle attachment in synthetic, biogenic, and geologic environments journal July 2015
Attachment of nanoparticles to the AFM tips for direct measurements of interaction between a single nanoparticle and surfaces journal June 2007
Competing Forces in the Self-Assembly of Coupled ZnO Nanopyramids journal February 2015
Atomistic simulation of dislocations, surfaces and interfaces in MgO journal January 1996
Colloidal CdSe Quantum Wires by Oriented Attachment journal April 2006
Designing PbSe Nanowires and Nanorings through Oriented Attachment of Nanoparticles journal May 2005
Building Hematite Nanostructures by Oriented Attachment journal November 2010
Mesocrystals-Ordered Nanoparticle Superstructures journal August 2009
Ultraviolet ZnO Nanorod Photosensors journal January 2010
Direction-specific van der Waals attraction between rutile TiO 2 nanocrystals journal April 2017
Zinc oxide nanostructures: growth, properties and applications journal June 2004
Kinetic study on photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Acid Yellow 23 by ZnO photocatalyst journal May 2006
Energy Calculations Predict Nanoparticle Attachment Orientations and Asymmetric Crystal Formation journal September 2012
Optimizing and Improving the Growth Quality of ZnO Nanowire Arrays Guided by Statistical Design of Experiments journal June 2009
Single Crystal Manganese Oxide Multipods by Oriented Attachment. journal January 2006
Self-assembly of nanoparticles into biomimetic capsid-like nanoshells journal November 2016
Hydration repulsion between biomembranes results from an interplay of dehydration and depolarization journal August 2012
Synthesis of Silver Nanoplates by Two-Dimensional Oriented Attachment journal June 2012
Complex and oriented ZnO nanostructures journal November 2003
Self-Assembly of ZnO: From Nanodots to Nanorods journal April 2002
Attraction between hydrated hydrophilic surfaces journal August 2014
Imperfect Oriented Attachment: Dislocation Generation in Defect-Free Nanocrystals journal August 1998
Symmetrical Six-horn Nickel Diselenide Nanostars Growth from Oriented Attachment Mechanism journal December 2007
Fabrication of a ring nanoelectrode in an AFM tip: novel approach towards simultaneous electrochemical and topographical imaging journal January 2002
Ultrathin PbS Sheets by Two-Dimensional Oriented Attachment journal July 2010
Real-Time Imaging of Pt3Fe Nanorod Growth in Solution journal May 2012
Symmetrical Six-horn Nickel Diselenide Nanostars Growth from Oriented Attachment Mechanism journal December 2007
Ultrafine Single-Crystalline Gold Nanowire Arrays by Oriented Attachment journal July 2007
Interpreting the widespread nonlinear force spectra of intermolecular bonds journal August 2012
Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays journal April 2006
ZnO nanowire and nanobelt platform for nanotechnology journal April 2009
Fabrication of sharp tungsten-coated tip for atomic force microscopy by ion-beam sputter deposition journal November 2011
Interpreting the widespread nonlinear force spectra of intermolecular bonds journal August 2012
Synthesis of Silver Nanoplates by Two-Dimensional Oriented Attachment journal June 2012
Fabrication of a ring nanoelectrode in an AFM tip: novel approach towards simultaneous electrochemical and topographical imaging journal January 2002
Force measurements with the atomic force microscope: Technique, interpretation and applications journal October 2005
Building Hematite Nanostructures by Oriented Attachment journal November 2010
Investigations of Surface Forces between Gypsum Microcrystals in Air Using Atomic Force Microscopy journal May 2000
DL_POLY_2.0: A general-purpose parallel molecular dynamics simulation package journal June 1996
Ultraviolet ZnO Nanorod Photosensors journal January 2010
Energy Calculations Predict Nanoparticle Attachment Orientations and Asymmetric Crystal Formation journal September 2012
Canonical dynamics: Equilibrium phase-space distributions journal March 1985
Mesocrystals: Inorganic Superstructures Made by Highly Parallel Crystallization and Controlled Alignment journal September 2005
In situ site-specific specimen preparation for atom probe tomography journal February 2007
Adhesion forces between surfaces in liquids and condensable vapours journal February 1992
AFM investigation of tribological properties of nano-patterned silicon surface journal August 2008
Spontaneous Room Temperature Elongation of CdS and Ag 2 S Nanorods via Oriented Attachment journal September 2009
Nanostructures of zinc oxide journal June 2004
Light-controlled self-assembly of non-photoresponsive nanoparticles journal July 2015
Theoretical analysis of the electronic structure of the stable and metastable c ( 2 × 2 ) phases of Na on Al(001): Comparison with angle-resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectra journal June 1998
Multistage growth of monocrystalline ZnO nanowires and twin-nanorods: oriented attachment and role of the spontaneous polarization force journal January 2016
Stability of Polar Oxide Surfaces text January 2001
p -ZnO/n-GaN heterostructure ZnO light-emitting diodes journal May 2005
Energetics and electronic structure of stacking faults in AlN, GaN, and InN journal June 1998
Energetics and electronic structure of stacking faults in ZnO journal November 2004

Cited By (11)

Effect of Annealing Temperature on ECD Grown Hexagonal-Plane Zinc Oxide journal August 2018
Accessing crystal–crystal interaction forces with oriented nanocrystal atomic force microscopy probes journal September 2018
Thin water films covering oxide nanomaterials: Stability issues and influences on materials processing journal February 2019
Shape-controlled synthesis of nanostructured Co-doped ZnO thin films and their magnetic properties journal January 2018
Natural, incidental, and engineered nanomaterials and their impacts on the Earth system journal March 2019
Laser and electron beam-induced formation of Ag/Cr structures on Ag 2 CrO 4 journal January 2019
Thin water films and particle morphology evolution in nanocrystalline MgO journal May 2018
Connecting energetics to dynamics in particle growth by oriented attachment using real-time observations journal February 2020
Effect of Annealing Temperature on ECD Grown Hexagonal-Plane Zinc Oxide journal August 2018
Lateral water structure connects metal oxide nanoparticle faces journal January 2019
Understanding the driving forces for crystal growth by oriented attachment through theory and simulations journal May 2019