High-resolution three-dimensional imaging of topological textures in nanoscale single-diamond networks.
Nat Nanotechnol
; 19(10): 1499-1506, 2024 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39043824
ABSTRACT
Topological defects-extended lattice deformations that are robust against local defects and annealing-have been exploited to engineer novel properties in both hard and soft materials. Yet, their formation kinetics and nanoscale three-dimensional structure are poorly understood, impeding their benefits for nanofabrication. We describe the fabrication of a pair of topological defects in the volume of a single-diamond network (space group Fd 3 ¯ m) templated into gold from a triblock terpolymer crystal. Using X-ray nanotomography, we resolve the three-dimensional structure of nearly 70,000 individual single-diamond unit cells with a spatial resolution of 11.2 nm, allowing analysis of the long-range order of the network. The defects observed morphologically resemble the comet and trefoil patterns of equal and opposite half-integer topological charges observed in liquid crystals. Yet our analysis of strain in the network suggests typical hard matter behaviour. Our analysis approach does not require a priori knowledge of the expected positions of the nodes in three-dimensional nanostructured systems, allowing the identification of distorted morphologies and defects in large samples.
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1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Nanotechnol
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Suíça
País de publicação:
Reino Unido