Metal colloids in ionic crystals

Abstract

Small metallic particles with diameters in the range 1–100 nm have interesting properties which can sometimes be very different from those of bulk metals. Such colloidal particles play an important part in fields which range from catalysis to radiation damage in compound solids, and also have an intrinsic interest since in some respects they can be regarded as a state of matter intermediate between that of a molecule and a solid. In ionic crystals colloids can be produced either by irradiation or by the introduction of a stoichiometric excess of the metal constituent. In either case the colloids form as a result of the aggregation of fundamental point defects, but it is only fairly recently that a reasonably coherent picture of these processes has emerged and the properties of the colloids have been related to those of small metallic particles studied for other reasons. This review discusses the progress which has been made through the use of a large number of different techniques to study the properties of colloids in ionic crystals and related media such as glasses. Particular emphasis is placed on the optical, magnetic resonance and kinetic properties of colloids, and on the discussion of results in the wider context of the physics of small particles.