Giant negative thermal expansion in magnetic nanocrystals

Significant Zero Thermal Expansion Via Enhanced Magnetoelastic Coupling in Kagome Magnets

Zero-thermal-expansion (ZTE) alloys, as dimensionally stable materials, are urgently required in many fields, particularly in highly advanced modern industries. In this study, high-performance ZTE with a negligible coefficient of thermal expansion a_v as small as 2.4 ppm K^-1 in a broad temperature range of 85-245 K is discovered in Hf_0.85 Ta_0.15 Fe₂ C_0.01 magnet. It is demonstrated that the addition of trace interstitial atom C into Ta-substituted Hf_0.85 Ta_0.15 Fe₂ exhibits significant capability to tune the normal positive thermal expansion into high-performance ZTE via enhanced magnetoelastic coupling in stabilized ferromagnetic structure. Moreover, direct observation of the magnetic transition between ferromagnetic and triangular antiferromagnetic states via Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, along with corresponding theoretical calculations, further uncovers the manipulation mechanism of ZTE and negative thermal expansion. A convenient and effective method to optimize thermal expansion and achieve ZTE with interstitial C addition may result in broadened applications based on the strong correlation between the magnetic properties and crystal structure.

Tailoring Negative Thermal Expansion via Tunable Induced Strain in La-Fe-Si-Based Multifunctional Material

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) composites are typically designed by combining positive thermal expansion (PTE) with negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials acting as compensators and have many diverse applications, including in high-precision instrumentation and biomedical devices. La(Fe_1-x,Si_x)13-based compounds display several remarkable properties, such as giant magnetocaloric effect and very large NTE at room temperature. Both are linked via strong magnetovolume coupling, which leads to sharp magnetic and volume changes occurring simultaneously across first-order phase transitions; the abrupt nature of these changes makes them unsuitable as thermal expansion compensators. To make these materials more useful practically, the mechanisms controlling the temperature over which this transition occurs and the magnitude of contraction need to be controlled. In this work, ball-milling was used to decrease particles and crystallite sizes and increase the strain in LaFe_11.9Mn_0.27Si_1.29H_x alloys. Such size and strain tuning effectively broadened the temperature over which this transition occurs. The material's NTE operational temperature window was expanded, and its peak was suppressed by up to 85%. This work demonstrates that induced strain is the key mechanism controlling these materials' phase transitions. This allows the optimization of their thermal expansion toward room-temperature ZTE applications.

Chemical pressure in functional materials

Chemical pressure, a strange but familiar concept, is a lattice internal force caused by lattice strain with chemical modifications and arouses great interest due to its diversity and efficiency to synthesize new compounds and tune functional materials. Different from physical pressure loaded by an external force that is positive, chemical pressure can be either positive or negative (contract a lattice or expand it), often through flexible and mild chemical synthesis strategies, which are particularly important as a degree of freedom to manipulate material behaviors. In this tutorial review, we summarize the features of chemical pressure as a methodology and demonstrate its role in synthesizing and discovering some typical magnetically, electrically, and thermally responsive functional materials. The measure of chemical pressure using experimental lattice strain and elastic modulus was proposed, which can be used for quantitative descriptions of the correlation between lattice distortion and properties. From a lattice strain point of view, we classify chemical pressure into different categories: (i) chemical substitution, (ii) chemical intercalation/de-intercalation, (iii) size effect, and (iv) interface constraint, etc. Chemical pressure affects chemical bonding and rationalizes the crystal structure by modifying the electronic structure of solids, regulating the lattice symmetry, local structure, phonon structure effects etc., emerging as a general and effective method for synthesizing new compounds and tuning functional materials.

Hypocrystalline ceramic aerogels for thermal insulation at extreme conditions

Thermal insulation under extreme conditions requires materials that can withstand complex thermomechanical stress and retain excellent thermal insulation properties at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius^1–3. Ceramic aerogels are attractive thermal insulating materials; however, at very high temperatures, they often show considerably increased thermal conductivity and limited thermomechanical stability that can lead to catastrophic failure^4–6. Here we report a multiscale design of hypocrystalline zircon nanofibrous aerogels with a zig-zag architecture that leads to exceptional thermomechanical stability and ultralow thermal conductivity at high temperatures. The aerogels show a near-zero Poisson’s ratio (3.3 × 10⁻⁴) and a near-zero thermal expansion coefficient (1.2 × 10⁻⁷ per degree Celsius), which ensures excellent structural flexibility and thermomechanical properties. They show high thermal stability with ultralow strength degradation (less than 1 per cent) after sharp thermal shocks, and a high working temperature (up to 1,300 degrees Celsius). By deliberately entrapping residue carbon species in the constituent hypocrystalline zircon fibres, we substantially reduce the thermal radiation heat transfer and achieve one of the lowest high-temperature thermal conductivities among ceramic aerogels so far—104 milliwatts per metre per kelvin at 1,000 degrees Celsius. The combined thermomechanical and thermal insulating properties offer an attractive material system for robust thermal insulation under extreme conditions.

Hypocrystalline ceramic aerogels with a zig-zag architecture show high thermal stability under thermal shock and exposure to high temperature, providing a reliable material system for thermal insulation at extreme conditions.

Influence of the Chemical Pressure on the Magnetic Properties of the Mixed Anion Cuprates Cu2OX2 (X = Cl, Br, I)

In this study, we theoretically investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of the Cu2OX2 (X = Cl, Br, I) compounds. Previous studies reported potential spin-driven ferroelectricity in Cu2OCl2, originating from a non-collinear magnetic phase existing below TN∼70 K. However, the nature of this low-temperature magnetic phase is still under debate. Here, we focus on the calculation of J exchange couplings and enhance knowledge in the field by (i) characterizing the low-temperature magnetic order for Cu2OCl2 and (ii) evaluating the impact of the chemical pressure on the magnetic interactions, which leads us to consider the two new phases Cu2OBr2 and Cu2OI2. Our ab initio simulations notably demonstrate the coexistence of strong antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions, leading to spin frustration. The TN Néel temperatures were estimated on the basis of a quasi-1D AFM model using the abinitioJ couplings. It nicely reproduces the TN value for Cu2OCl2 and allows us to predict an increase of TN under chemical pressure, with TN = 120 K for the dynamically stable phase Cu2OBr2. This investigation suggests that chemical pressure is an effective key factor to open the door of room-temperature multiferroicity.

Chemical Diversity for Tailoring Negative Thermal Expansion

Negative thermal expansion (NTE), referring to the lattice contraction upon heating, has been an attractive topic of solid-state chemistry and functional materials. The response of a lattice to the temperature field is deeply rooted in its structural features and is inseparable from the physical properties. For the past 30 years, great efforts have been made to search for NTE compounds and control NTE performance. The demands of different applications give rise to the prominent development of new NTE systems covering multifarious chemical substances and many preparation routes. Even so, the intelligent design of NTE structures and efficient tailoring for lattice thermal expansion are still challenging. However, the diverse chemical routes to synthesize target compounds with featured structures provide a large number of strategies to achieve the desirable NTE behaviors with related properties. The chemical diversity is reflected in the wide regulating scale, flexible ways of introduction, and abundant structure-function insights. It inspires the rapid growth of new functional NTE compounds and understanding of the physical origins. In this review, we provide a systematic overview of the recent progress of chemical diversity in the tailoring of NTE. The efficient control of lattice and deep structural deciphering are carefully discussed. This comprehensive summary and perspective for chemical diversity are helpful to promote the creation of functional zero-thermal-expansion (ZTE) compounds and the practical utilization of NTE.

Observation of Cu Spin Fluctuations in High-Tc Cuprate Superconductor Nanoparticles Investigated by Muon Spin Relaxation

The nano-size effects of high-T_c cuprate superconductor La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ with x = 0.20 are investigated using X-ray diffractometry, Transmission electron microscopy, and muon-spin relaxation (μSR). It is investigated whether an increase in the bond distance of Cu and O atoms in the conducting layer compared to those of the bulk state might affect its physical and magnetic properties. The μSR measurements revealed the slowing down of Cu spin fluctuations in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ nanoparticles, indicating the development of a magnetic correlation at low temperatures. The magnetic correlation strengthens as the particle size reduces. This significantly differs from those observed in the bulk form, which show a superconducting state below T_c. It is indicated that reducing the particle size of La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ down to nanometer size causes the appearance of magnetism. The magnetism enhances with decreasing particle size.

Size and crystal symmetry breaking effects on negative thermal expansion in ScF3 nanostructures

Nowadays, one of the most typical and important potential applications of negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials is to prepare zero thermal expansion or controllable coefficient thermal expansion materials by compounding them with positive thermal expansion materials. The research on NTE properties at the nanoscales is the basis and premise for the realization of high-quality composites. Here, using first-principles calculations, we take a typical open framework material ScF₃ as an example to study a new NTE mechanism at the nanoscale, which involves edge and size effects, as well as crystal symmetry breaking. By analyzing the vibrational modes in ultrathin ScF₃ films, three effects contributing to the NTE properties are identified, namely, the acoustic mode (ZA mode) induced by surface truncation, the enhanced rotations of ScF₆ octahedra in the surface layer and the suppressed rotations of ScF₆ octahedra in the inner layer due to crystal symmetry breaking. With increasing thickness, the effect of the ZA mode vibration gradually weakens, while the rotations of the ScF₆ octahedra in the surface and inner layers are enhanced. Ultimately, the approximately mutual compensation of these three effects makes the NTE coefficients of different thicknesses almost unchanged. Finally, we simply generalize our conclusions to zero dimensional nanoparticles. This work reveals a new NTE mechanism in low-dimensional open framework materials, which serves as a guide in designing NTE materials at the nanoscale.

Plastic and low-cost axial zero thermal expansion alloy by a natural dual-phase composite

Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) alloys possess unique dimensional stability, high thermal and electrical conductivities. Their practical application under heat and stress is however limited by their inherent brittleness because ZTE and plasticity are generally exclusive in a single-phase material. Besides, the performance of ZTE alloys is highly sensitive to change of compositions, so conventional synthesis methods such as alloying or the design of multiphase to improve its thermal and mechanical properties are usually inapplicable. In this study, by adopting a one-step eutectic reaction method, we overcome this challenge. A natural dual-phase composite with ZTE and plasticity was synthesized by melting 4 atom% holmium with pure iron. The dual-phase alloy shows moderate plasticity and strength, axial zero thermal expansion, and stable thermal cycling performance as well as low cost. By using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, in-situ neutron diffraction and microscopy, the critical mechanism of dual-phase synergy on both thermal expansion regulation and mechanical property enhancement is revealed. These results demonstrate that eutectic reaction is likely to be a universal and effective method for the design of high-performance intermetallic-compound-based ZTE alloys.

Zero thermal expansion alloys have unique dimensional stability but suffer from inherent brittleness and compositional sensitivity. Here the authors present the one-step eutectic reaction approach to produce a dual-phase alloy with an axial zero expansion and promising mechanical properties.

Magnetic structure and uniaxial negative thermal expansion in antiferromagnetic CrSb

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) has been found in a growing number of ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials; however, it remains a challenge to discover antiferromagnetic (AFM) NTE materials. Here, we report the uniaxial NTE properties of AFM intermetallic CrSb systematically, and reveal its uniaxial NTE mechanism for the first time. The present AFM intermetallic CrSb shows uniaxial NTE at high temperature and over a broad temperature window (αa = -6.55 × 10-6 K-1, 360-600 K). The direct experimental evidence of neutron powder diffraction reveals that NTE is induced by the AFM ordering of the Cr atom. The present study demonstrates that due to the transition from an AFM ordered structure to a paramagnetic disordered configuration, the negative contribution to the thermal expansion from the magnetovolume effect overwhelms the positive contribution from anharmonic phonon vibration. This study is of interest to find antiferromagnetic NTE materials.

Large Linear Negative Thermal Expansion in NiAs-type Magnetic Intermetallic Cr-Te-Se Compounds

A large linear negative thermal expansion (NTE) and expanded NTE temperature range (ΔT_NTE) were obtained in magnetoelastic CrTe_1-xSe_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) compounds. For CrTe compound, its thermal expansion coefficient of volume (α_V) was calculated to be -28.8 ppm K^-1 with the temperature ranging from 280 to 340 K. Substituting Te with Se atoms, the NTE behavior and magnetic properties can be well manipulated. With increasing Se in CrTe_1-xSe_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) compounds, the ΔT_NTE increases from 60 K (280-340 K for x = 0), to 80 K (240-320 K for x = 0.05), to 95 K (200-295 K for x = 0.1), and finally to 100 K (170-270 K for x = 0.15). Furthermore, a linear NTE remains independent of temperature for samples with x ≤ 0.1. The relationship between tunable NTE and magnetic properties was analyzed in detail, indicating that the NTE in CrTe_1-xSe_x compounds originates from the magnetovolume effect (MVE).

Largely Enhanced Ferromagnetism in Bare CuO Nanoparticles by a Small Size Effect

Magnetic properties of fully oxygenated bare CuO nanoparticles have been investigated using magnetization, X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and Raman scattering measurements. The Langevin field profile is clearly revealed in the isothermal magnetization of 8.8 nm CuO nanoparticle assembly even at 300 K, revealing a 172 times enhancement of the ferromagnetic responses over that of bulk CuO. Surface magnetization of 8.8 nm CuO reaches 18% of the core magnetization. The Cu spins in 8.8 nm CuO order below 400 K, which is 1.7 times higher than the 231 K observed in bulk CuO. A relatively simple magnetic structure that may be indexed using a modulation vector of (0.2, 0, 0.2) was found for the 8.8 nm CuO, but no magnetic incommensurability was observed in bulk CuO. The Cu spins in 8.8 nm CuO form spin density waves with length scales of 5 chemical unit cells long along the crystallographic a- and c-axis directions. Considerable amounts of electronic charge shift from around the Cu lattice sites toward the interconnecting regions of two neighboring Cu-Cu ions, resulting in a stronger ferromagnetic direct exchange interaction for the neighboring Cu spins in 8.8 nm CuO.

Giant anisotropic thermal expansion actuated by thermodynamically assisted reorientation of imidazoliums in a single crystal

Materials demonstrating unusual large positive and negative thermal expansion are fascinating for their potential applications as high-precision microscale actuators and thermal expansion compensators for normal solids. However, manipulating molecular motion to execute huge thermal expansion of materials remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report a single-crystal Cu(II) complex exhibiting giant thermal expansion actuated by collective reorientation of imidazoliums. The circular molecular cations, which are rotationally disordered at a high temperature and statically ordered at a low temperature, demonstrate significant reorientation in the molecular planes. Such atypical molecular motion, revealed by variable-temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction and solid-state NMR analyses, drives an exceptionally large positive thermal expansion and a negative thermal expansion in a perpendicular direction of the crystal. The consequent large shape change (~10%) of bulk material, with remarkable durability, suggests that this complex is a strong candidate as a microscale thermal actuating material.

Designing materials with large thermal expansion is highly desirable to fabricate microscale devices. The authors report unusually large anisotropic negative and positive thermal expansion in a simple crystalline material, through temperature-driven orientation of imidazole cations acting as molecular wheels.

Bi-Material Negative Thermal Expansion Inverted Trapezoid Lattice based on A Composite Rod

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) lattices are widely used in aerospace engineering where the structures experience large temperature variation. However, the available range of NTE of the current lattices is quite narrow, which severely limits their engineering application. In this paper, we report an inverted trapezoid lattice (ITL) with large NTE. The NTE of the ITL is 2.6 times that of a typical triangular lattice with the same height and hypotenuse angle. Theoretically, with a pin-jointed assumption, the ITL can improve the NTE by order of magnitude if the length ratio of the composite rod is changed. In the presented ITL, a composite rod is utilized as the base of the ITL. The composite rod has large inner NTE. The inverted trapezoid structure converts the inner NTE to the vertical direction contraction and obtains an extra NTE. Finite element simulations and experimental verification by interferometric measurement were conducted to verify the large thermal expansion of the ITL.

Negative Thermal Expansion in Nanosolids

Nanosolids usually exhibit a variety of peculiar physical features due to the size effect. The unique surface electronic states and coordination structures of nanosolids make them particularly important as promising functional materials. After several decades of research effort on the preparation processes and formation mechanisms of nanomaterials, the attention of nanoscience has been shifted to their functionalization and utilization. In the development of nanodevices, the thermal expansion matching between nanosized components is becoming increasingly important for the selection of units and design of nanodevices. In nanosolids, particularities of bonding features and coordination environments lead to size-dependent thermal expansion behavior that is significantly different from the behavior of their bulk counterparts. Thus, size tuning becomes one of the most efficient techniques in tailoring lattice thermal expansion. Unlike the traditional tailoring methods like chemical doping, the modification of chemical bonds and lattice vibration modes mainly contributing to the abnormal thermal expansion of nanosolids can be realized by adjustment of local coordination on the surface and surface/interface lattice strain. With the introduction of the nanosizing effect, the functional properties of nanosolids can be thoroughly remolded, which provides a huge space for functional applications of negative thermal expansion (NTE) nanosolids. However, understanding the origin of novel thermal expansion in nanosolids remains a challenging issue because of the lack of knowledge of precise atomic arrangements at both long-range and local structure levels. In this Account, by virtue of various advanced characterization techniques, we provide a comprehensive understanding at the atomic level of the abnormal thermal expansion behaviors in nanosized PbTiO₃-based compounds, oxides, fluorides, and bimetallic alloys. Our results demonstrate that nanoscale structural features can be used to alter the spontaneous polarization, surficial/interfacial coordination, local lattice symmetry, and elemental distribution, resulting in the crossover of thermal expansion from the bulk and the generation of zero thermal expansion (ZTE). Furthermore, structural peculiarities in nanosolids, e.g., the lack of long-range coherence, abnormal surficial/interfacial bonding, lattice imperfection, and distribution of local phases, open the door for local-scale manipulations of the physical properties of electronic structure and lattice vibration during adjustment of thermal expansion. For the development of nanodevices with high thermostability, atomic-level information on the nanostructure thermal evolution provides a guideline for intelligent designs of the functional components and matrix. Understanding of the structural transformation in nanosolids will help future exploration of functional nanomaterials based on short-range atomistic design and optimization.

Negative Thermal Expansion in (Hf,Ti)Fe2 Induced by the Ferromagnetic and Antiferromagnetic Phase Coexistence

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing physical phenomenon that can be used in the applications of thermal expansion adjustment of materials. In this study, we report a NTE compound of (Hf,Ti)Fe₂, while both end members of HfFe₂ and TiFe₂ show positive thermal expansion. The results reveal that phase coexistence is detected in the whole NTE zone, in which one phase is ferromagnetic (FM), while the other is antiferromagnetic (AFM). With increasing temperature, the FM phase is gradually transformed to the AFM one. The NTE phenomenon occurs in the present (Hf,Ti)Fe₂ because of the fact that the unit cell volume of the AFM phase is smaller than that of the FM phase, and the mass fraction of the AFM phase increases with increasing temperature. The construction of phase coexistence can be a method to achieve NTE materials in future studies.

Mechanistic Insights into the Superexchange-Interaction-Driven Negative Thermal Expansion in CuO

The negative thermal expansion (NTE) in CuO is explained via electron-transfer-driven superexchange interaction. The elusive connection between the spin-lattice coupling and NTE of CuO is investigated by neutron scattering and principal strain axes analysis. The density functional theory calculations show as the temperature decreases, the continuously increasing electron transfer accounts for enhancing the superexchange interaction along [101̅], the principal NTE direction. It is further rationalized that only when the interaction along [101̅] is preferably enhanced to a certain level compared to the other competing antiferromagnetic exchange pathways can the corresponding NTE occur. Outcomes from this work have implications for controlling the thermal expansion through superexchange interaction, via, for example, optical manipulation, electron or hole doping, etc.

Enhanced tetragonality and large negative thermal expansion in a new Pb/Bi-based perovskite ferroelectric of (1 − x)PbTiO3–xBi(Zn1/2V1/2)O3

With the introduction of Bi(Zn_1/2V_1/2)O₃, both tetragonality and negative thermal expansion of PbTiO₃ have been enhanced.

Exploration of the high temperature phase evolution of electrochemically modified Sc2(WO4)3via potassium discharge

Electrochemical discharge followed by thermal treatment produces K₂WO₄ and other phases. K₂WO₄ features a large negative thermal expansion coefficient between 923–1023 K.

Controllable thermal expansion and magnetic structure in Er2(Fe,Co)14B intermetallic compounds

Tunable thermal expansion from negative, to zero, to positive with a wide temperature range in Er₂(Fe,Co)₁₄B intermetallic compounds.

Negative thermal expansion in cubic FeFe(CN)6 Prussian blue analogues

A new isotropic negative thermal expansion compound of FeFe(CN)₆ has been found, in which the transverse vibrations of N atoms dominate in its NTE behavior.

Guest-dependent negative thermal expansion in a lanthanide-based metal–organic framework

A lanthanide-based metal–organic framework (MOF) named SION-2, displays strong and tuneable uniaxial negative thermal expansion (NTE).

Anisotropic Near-Zero Thermal Expansion in REAg xGa4- x ( RE = La-Nd, Sm, Eu, and Yb) Induced by Structural Reorganization

In this work, we have discovered the anisotropic near-zero thermal expansion (NZTE) behavior in a family of compounds REAg _xGa_{4- x} ( RE = La-Nd, Sm, Eu, and Yb). The compounds adopt the CeAl₂Ga₂ structure type and were obtained as single crystals in high yield by metal flux growth technique using gallium as active flux. Temperature-dependent single crystal X-ray diffraction suggests that all the compounds exhibit near zero thermal expansion along c direction in the temperature range of 100-450 K. Temperature-dependent X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopic study confirmed ZTE behavior is due to the geometrical features associated within the crystal structure. The anisotropic NZTE behavior was further established by anisotropic magnetic measurements on selected single crystals. The atomic displacement parameters, apparent bond lengths, bond angles, and structural distortion with respect to the temperature reveal that geometric features associated with the structural distortion cause the anisotropic NZTE along c-direction. The preliminary magnetic studies suggest all the compounds are paramagnetic at room temperature except LaAgGa₃. Electrical resistivity study reveals that compounds from this series are metallic in nature.

Negative Thermal Expansion in the Materials With Giant Magnetocaloric Effect

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) behaviors in the materials with giant magnetocaloric effects (MCE) have been reviewed. Attentions are mainly focused on the hexagonal Ni2In-type MM'X compounds. Other MCE materials, such as La(Fe,Si)13, RCo2, and antiperovskite compounds are also simply introduced. The novel MCE and phase-transition-type NTE materials have similar physics origin though the applications are distinct. Spin-lattice coupling plays a key role for the both effect of NTE and giant MCE. Most of the giant MCE materials show abnormal lattice expansion owing to magnetic interactions, which provides a natural platform for exploring NTE materials. We anticipate that the present review can help finding more ways to regulate phase transition and dig novel NTE materials.

Mechanisms and Materials for NTE

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) upon heating is an unusual property but is observed in many materials over varying ranges of temperature. A brief review of mechanisms for NTE and prominent materials will be presented here. Broadly there are two basic mechanisms for intrinsic NTE within a homogenous solid; structural and electronic. Structural NTE is driven by transverse vibrational motion in insulating framework–type materials e.g., ZrW₂O₈ and ScF₃. Electronic NTE results from thermal changes in electronic structure or magnetism and is often associated with phase transitions. A classic example is the Invar alloy, Fe_0.64Ni_0.36, but many exotic mechanisms have been discovered more recently such as colossal NTE driven by Bi–Ni charge transfer in the perovskite BiNiO₃. In addition there are several types of NTE that result from specific sample morphologies. Several simple materials, e.g., Au, CuO, are reported to show NTE as nanoparticles but not in the bulk. Microstructural enhancements of NTE can be achieved in ceramics of materials with anisotropic thermal expansion such as beta–eucryptite and Ca₂RuO₄, and artificial NTE metamaterials can be fabricated from engineered structures of normal (positive) thermal expansion substances.

Electrochemical Modification of Negative Thermal Expansion Materials in the Ta xNb1- xVO5 Series

Electrochemical processes transfer charge carriers to and from electrodes, e.g., Li⁺ ions are inserted into anodes during discharge and extracted during charge in a Li half-cell. Using an electrode that features negative thermal expansion (NTE) properties in an electrochemical cell allows a means to study the interaction of the charge carrier with an NTE material and potentially modify or tune its NTE properties. This work examines the NTE properties of Ta _xNb_{1- x}VO₅ ( x = 1, 0.9, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25) and the effect of Li⁺/Na⁺/K⁺ electrochemical discharge of TaVO₅-based electrodes. Sodium discharge was found to drastically alter NTE properties with 25% Na⁺ discharged electrodes exhibiting a linear volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion of -5.75 ± 0.20 × 10^-5 ų/°C between 350 and 500 °C, one of the largest reported for any NTE system. Furthermore, at higher temperatures, the Na⁺- and K⁺-discharged and heated electrodes generate new phases, suggesting that a combination of electrochemical discharge and thermal treatment can be used to synthesize new compounds. This work lays the foundation for the concept of using electrochemical discharge followed by subsequent thermal treatments to modify the physical properties of a compound.

Twin Crystal Induced near Zero Thermal Expansion in SnO2 Nanowires

Knowledge of controllable thermal expansion is a fundamental issue in the field of materials science and engineering. Direct blocking of the thermal expansions in positive thermal expansion materials is a challenging but fascinating task. Here we report a near zero thermal expansion (ZTE) of SnO₂ achieved from twin crystal nanowires, which is highly correlated to the twin boundaries. Local structural evolutions followed by pair distribution function revealed a remarkable thermal local distortion along the twin boundary. Lattice dynamics investigated by Raman scattering evidenced the hardening of phonon frequency induced by the twin crystal compressing, giving rise to the ZTE of SnO₂ nanowires. Further DFT calculation of Grüneisen parameters confirms the key role of compressive stress on ZTE. Our results provide an insight into the thermal expansion behavior regarding to twin crystal boundaries, which could be beneficial to the applications.

Giant Thermal Expansion in 2D and 3D Cellular Materials

When temperature increases, the volume of an object changes. This property was quantified as the coefficient of thermal expansion only a few hundred years ago. Part of the reason is that the change of volume due to the variation of temperature is in general extremely small and imperceptible. Here, abnormal giant linear thermal expansions in different types of two-ingredient microstructured hierarchical and self-similar cellular materials are reported. The cellular materials can be 2D or 3D, and isotropic or anisotropic, with a positive or negative thermal expansion due to the convex or/and concave shape in their representative volume elements respectively. The magnitude of the thermal expansion coefficient can be several times larger than the highest value reported in the literature. This study suggests an innovative approach to develop temperature-sensitive functional materials and devices.

Local Chemical Ordering and Negative Thermal Expansion in PtNi Alloy Nanoparticles

An atomic insight into the local chemical ordering and lattice strain is particular interesting to recent emerging bimetallic nanocatalysts such as PtNi alloys. Here, we reported the atomic distribution, chemical environment, and lattice thermal evolution in full-scale structural description of PtNi alloy nanoparticles (NPs). The different segregation of elements in the well-faceted PtNi nanoparticles is convinced by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). Atomic pair distribution function (PDF) study evidences the coexistence of the face-centered cubic and tetragonal ordering parts in the local environment of PtNi nanoparticles. Further reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulation with PDF data obviously exposed the segregation as Ni and Pt in the centers of {111} and {001} facets, respectively. Layer-by-layer statistical analysis up to 6 nm for the local atomic pairs revealed the distribution of local tetragonal ordering on the surface. This local coordination environment facilitates the distribution of heteroatomic Pt-Ni pairs, which plays an important role in the negative thermal expansion of Pt₄₁Ni₅₉ NPs. The present study on PtNi alloy NPs from local short-range coordination to long-range average lattice provides a new perspective on tailoring physical properties in nanomaterials.

Negative Thermal Expansion of Ultrathin Metal Nanowires: A Computational Study

Most materials expand upon heating because the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), the fundamental property of materials characterizing the mechanical response of the materials to heating, is positive. There have been some reports of materials that exhibit negative thermal expansion (NTE), but most of these have been in complex alloys, where NTE originates from the transverse vibrations of the materials. Here, we show using molecular dynamics simulations that some single crystal monatomic FCC metal nanowires can exhibit NTE along the length direction due to a novel thermomechanical coupling. We develop an analytic model for the CTE in nanowires that is a function of the surface stress, elastic modulus, and nanowire size. The model suggests that the CTE of nanowires can be reduced due to elastic softening of the materials and also due to surface stress. For the nanowires, the model predicts that the CTE reduction can lead to NTE if the nanowire Young's modulus is sufficiently reduced while the nanowire surface stress remains sufficiently large, which is in excellent agreement with the molecular dynamics simulation results. Overall, we find a "smaller is smaller" trend for the CTE of nanowires, leading to this unexpected, surface-stress-driven mechanism for NTE in nanoscale materials.

Large Magnetovolume Effect Induced by Embedding Ferromagnetic Clusters into Antiferromagnetic Matrix of Cobaltite Perovskite

Materials that show negative thermal expansion (NTE) have significant industrial merit because they can be used to fabricate composites whose dimensions remain invariant upon heating. In some materials, NTE is concomitant with the spontaneous magnetization due to the magnetovolume effect (MVE). Here the authors report a new class of MVE material; namely, a layered perovskite PrBaCo₂ O_5.5+x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.41), in which strong NTE [β ≈ -3.6 × 10^-5 K^-1 (90-110 K) at x = 0.24] is triggered by embedding ferromagnetic (F) clusters into the antiferromagnetic (AF) matrix. The strongest MVE is found near the boundary between F and AF phases in the phase diagram, indicating the essential role of competition between the F-clusters and the AF-matrix. Furthermore, the MVE is not limited to the PrBaCo₂ O_5.5+x but is also observed in the NdBaCo₂ O_5.5+x . The present study provides a new approach to obtaining MVE and offers a path to the design of NTE materials.

Local Structural Distortion Induced Uniaxial Negative Thermal Expansion in Nanosized Semimetal Bismuth

The corrugated layer structure bismuth has been successfully tailored into negative thermal expansion along c axis by size effect. Pair distribution function and extended X-ray absorption fine structure are combined to reveal the local structural distortion for nanosized bismuth. The comprehensive method to identify the local structure of nanomaterials can benefit the regulating and controlling of thermal expansion in nanodivices.

Negative Poisson's Ratio in Modern Functional Materials

Materials with negative Poisson's ratio attract considerable attention due to their underlying intriguing physical properties and numerous promising applications, particularly in stringent environments such as aerospace and defense areas, because of their unconventional mechanical enhancements. Recent progress in materials with a negative Poisson's ratio are reviewed here, with the current state of research regarding both theory and experiment. The inter-relationship between the underlying structure and a negative Poisson's ratio is discussed in functional materials, including macroscopic bulk, low-dimensional nanoscale particles, films, sheets, or tubes. The coexistence and correlations with other negative indexes (such as negative compressibility and negative thermal expansion) are also addressed. Finally, open questions and future research opportunities are proposed for functional materials with negative Poisson's ratios.

Hydration and Thermal Expansion in Anatase Nanoparticles

A tunable thermal expansion is reported in nanosized anatase by taking advantage of surface hydration. The coefficient of thermal expansion of 4 nm TiO2 along a-axis is negative with a hydrated surface and is positive without a hydrated surface. High-energy synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function analysis combined with ab initio calculations on the specific hydrated surface are carried out to reveal the local structure distortion that is responsible for the unusual negative thermal expansion.

Negative thermal expansion and associated anomalous physical properties: review of the lattice dynamics theoretical foundation

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is the phenomenon in which materials shrink rather than expand on heating. Although NTE had been previously observed in a few simple materials at low temperature, it was the realisation in 1996 that some materials have NTE over very wide ranges of temperature that kick-started current interest in this phenomenon. Now, nearly two decades later, a number of families of ceramic NTE materials have been identified. Increasingly quantitative studies focus on the mechanism of NTE, through techniques such as high-pressure diffraction, local structure probes, inelastic neutron scattering and atomistic simulation. In this paper we review our understanding of vibrational mechanisms of NTE for a range of materials. We identify a number of different cases, some of which involve a small number of phonons that can be described as involving rotations of rigid polyhedral groups of atoms, others where there are large bands of phonons involved, and some where the transverse acoustic modes provide the main contribution to NTE. In a few cases the elasticity of NTE materials has been studied under pressure, identifying an elastic softening under pressure. We propose that this property, called pressure-induced softening, is closely linked to NTE, which we can demonstrate using a simple model to describe NTE materials. There has also been recent interest in the role of intrinsic anharmonic interactions on NTE, particularly guided by calculations of the potential energy wells for relevant phonons. We review these effects, and show how anhamonicity affects the response of the properties of NTE materials to pressure.

Ba(1-x)Sr(x)Zn2Si2O7--A new family of materials with negative and very high thermal expansion

The compound BaZn2Si2O7 shows a high coefficient of thermal expansion up to a temperature of 280 °C, then a transition to a high temperature phase is observed. This high temperature phase exhibits negative thermal expansion. If Ba(2+) is successively replaced by Sr(2+), a new phase with a structure, similar to that of the high temperature phase of BaZn2Si2O7, forms. At the composition Ba0.8Sr0.2Zn2Si2O7, this new phase is completely stabilized. The crystal structure was determined with single crystal X-ray diffraction using the composition Ba0.6Sr0.4Zn2Si2O7, which crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm. The negative thermal expansion is a result of motions and distortions inside the crystal lattice, especially inside the chains of ZnO4 tetrahedra. Dilatometry and high temperature X-ray powder diffraction were used to verify the negative thermal expansion. Coefficients of thermal expansion partially smaller than -10·10(-6) K(-1) were measured.

Cryogenic abnormal thermal expansion properties of carbon-doped La(Fe,Si)13 compounds

Recently, La(Fe,Si)13-based compounds have attracted much attention due to their isotropic and tunable abnormal thermal expansion (ATE) properties as well as bright prospects for practical applications. In this research, we have prepared cubic NaZn13-type carbon-doped La(Fe,Si)13 compounds by the arc-melting method, and their ATE and magnetic properties were investigated by means of variable-temperature X-ray diffraction, strain gauge and the physical property measurement system (PPMS). The experimental results indicate that both micro and macro negative thermal expansion (NTE) behaviors gradually weaken with the increase of interstitial carbon atoms. Moreover, the temperature region with the most remarkable NTE properties has been broadened and near zero thermal expansion (NZTE) behavior occurs in the bulk carbon-doped La(Fe,Si)13 compounds.

Negative thermal expansion in functional materials: controllable thermal expansion by chemical modifications

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) is an intriguing physical property of solids, which is a consequence of a complex interplay among the lattice, phonons, and electrons. Interestingly, a large number of NTE materials have been found in various types of functional materials. In the last two decades good progress has been achieved to discover new phenomena and mechanisms of NTE. In the present review article, NTE is reviewed in functional materials of ferroelectrics, magnetics, multiferroics, superconductors, temperature-induced electron configuration change and so on. Zero thermal expansion (ZTE) of functional materials is emphasized due to the importance for practical applications. The NTE functional materials present a general physical picture to reveal a strong coupling role between physical properties and NTE. There is a general nature of NTE for both ferroelectrics and magnetics, in which NTE is determined by either ferroelectric order or magnetic one. In NTE functional materials, a multi-way to control thermal expansion can be established through the coupling roles of ferroelectricity-NTE, magnetism-NTE, change of electron configuration-NTE, open-framework-NTE, and so on. Chemical modification has been proved to be an effective method to control thermal expansion. Finally, challenges and questions are discussed for the development of NTE materials. There remains a challenge to discover a "perfect" NTE material for each specific application for chemists. The future studies on NTE functional materials will definitely promote the development of NTE materials.

Giant negative thermal expansion in bonded MnCoGe-based compounds with Ni2In-type hexagonal structure

MnCoGe-based compounds undergo a giant negative thermal expansion (NTE) during the martensitic structural transition from Ni2In-type hexagonal to TiNiSi-type orthorhombic structure. High-resolution neutron diffraction experiments revealed that the expansion of unit cell volume can be as large as ΔV/V ∼ 3.9%. The optimized compositions with concurrent magnetic and structural transitions have been studied for magnetocaloric effect. However, these materials have not been considered as NTE materials partially due to the limited temperature window of phase transition. The as-prepared MnCoGe-based compounds are quite brittle and naturally collapse into powders. By using a few percents (3-4%) of epoxy to bond the powders, we introduced residual stress in the bonded samples and thus realized the broadening of structural transition by utilizing the specific characteristics of lattice softening enforced by the stress. As a result, giant NTE (not only the linear NTE coefficient α but also the operation-temperature window) has been achieved. For example, the average α̅ as much as -51.5 × 10(-6)/K with an operating temperature window as wide as 210 K from 122 to 332 K has been observed in a bonded MnCo0.98Cr0.02Ge compound. Moreover, in the region between 250 and 305 K near room temperature, the α value (-119 × 10(-6)/K) remains nearly independent of temperature. Such an excellent performance exceeds that of most other materials reported previously, suggesting it can potentially be used as a NTE material, particularly for compensating the materials with large positive thermal expansions.

Abnormal thermal expansion properties of cubic NaZn13-type La(Fe,Al)13 compounds

Remarkable NTE properties as well as near ZTE behavior are observed in the LaFe_13−xAl_x (x = 1.8–2.7) compounds.

Strong ferromagnetism beyond the mechanism of uncompensated surface spins in nanocrystalline GaCMn3

Bulk antiperovskite compound GaCMn₃ has an antiferromagnetic ground state. However, in nanocrystalline GaCMn₃, strong ferromagnetism with large coercive field beyond the scenario of uncompensated surface spins was observed.

EXAFS and XANES analysis of oxides at the nanoscale

Worldwide research activity at the nanoscale is triggering the appearance of new, and frequently surprising, materials properties in which the increasing importance of surface and interface effects plays a fundamental role. This opens further possibilities in the development of new multifunctional materials with tuned physical properties that do not arise together at the bulk scale. Unfortunately, the standard methods currently available for solving the atomic structure of bulk crystals fail for nanomaterials due to nanoscale effects (very small crystallite sizes, large surface-to-volume ratio, near-surface relaxation, local lattice distortions etc.). As a consequence, a critical reexamination of the available local-structure characterization methods is needed. This work discusses the real possibilities and limits of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis at the nanoscale. To this end, the present state of the art for the interpretation of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) is described, including an advanced approach based on the use of classical molecular dynamics and its application to nickel oxide nanoparticles. The limits and possibilities of X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) to determine several effects associated with the nanocrystalline nature of materials are discussed in connection with the development of ZnO-based dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) and iron oxide nanoparticles.