Mesomorphic Lamella Rolling of Au in Vacuum

Lamellar nanocondensates in partial epitaxy with larger-sized multiply twinned particles (MTPs) or alternatively in the form of multiple-walled tubes (MWTs) having nothing to do with MTP were produced by the very energetic pulse laser ablation of Au target in vacuum under specified power density and pulses. Transmission electron microscopic observations revealed (111)-motif diffraction and low-angle scattering. They correspond to layer interspacing (0.241-0.192 nm) and the nearest neighbor distance (ca. 0.74-0.55 nm) of atom clusters within the layer, respectively, for the lamella, which shows interspacing contraction with decreasing particle size under the influence of surface stress and rolls up upon electron irradiation. The uncapped MWT has nearly concentric amorphous layers interspaced by 0.458-0.335 nm depending on dislocation distribution and becomes spherical onions for surface-area reduction upon electron dosage. Analogous to graphene-derived tubular materials, the lamella-derived MWT of Au could have pentagon-hexagon pair at its zig-zag junction and useful optoelectronic properties worthy of exploration.