Why lattice strain (compressive and tensile) increases with an increase in the particle size of nanoparticles?
Dear Priyanka Dash
When a nanoparticle is embedded in a matrix or substrate, the lattice structure of the nanoparticle can experience strain due to the lattice mismatch between the nanoparticle and the surrounding matrix or substrate. This strain can be either compressive or tensile, depending on the difference in lattice parameters between the nanoparticle and the surrounding material.
As the particle size of the nanoparticle increases, the surface area to volume ratio decreases, which means that a smaller proportion of the atoms in the nanoparticle are located near the surface. At the same time, the number of atoms in the nanoparticle increases, which means that the lattice structure of the nanoparticle becomes more ordered and less distorted. These two effects tend to reduce the amount of strain in the nanoparticle as the particle size increases.
However, if the lattice mismatch between the nanoparticle and the surrounding matrix or substrate is large, the reduction in strain due to the increase in particle size may not be sufficient to offset the increase in strain due to the lattice mismatch. In this case, the lattice strain in the nanoparticle will increase with an increase in particle size.
Therefore, the effect of particle size on lattice strain in nanoparticles is dependent on the lattice mismatch between the nanoparticle and the surrounding matrix or substrate. If the lattice mismatch is small, then increasing particle size will decrease the lattice strain. However, if the lattice mismatch is large, then increasing particle size may increase the lattice strain.
The lattice strain in nanoparticles increases with an increase in particle size due to the difference in atomic spacing between the nanoparticle and the bulk material. When a nanoparticle is formed, its surface atoms experience a higher surface energy compared to the atoms in the bulk material. To reduce the surface energy, the atoms in the nanoparticle try to rearrange themselves to form a more stable structure. However, due to the limited space available in a nanoparticle, the atoms are forced to adopt a different atomic arrangement compared to the bulk material. This results in a lattice distortion, which is known as lattice strain.
As the size of the nanoparticle increases, the lattice strain also increases because the difference in atomic spacing between the nanoparticle and the bulk material becomes more significant. In general, the lattice strain in nanoparticles can be either compressive or tensile depending on the atomic arrangement and the crystal structure of the material.
The lattice strain in nanoparticles can affect the physical and chemical properties of the material, such as its electronic structure, optical properties, and reactivity. Therefore, it is important to consider the lattice strain effects when studying the properties and applications of nanoparticles.
For the FeSiO2 nanocomposite, why the lattice parametres decrease with the increase of lattice strain?
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