On the habitus modification of silver microcrystals by electrolityc origin.

We present experimental facts on the role of electrolyte pH in shape control of electrodeposited small silver microcrystals. Increasing electrolyte pH value, i.e. the transition from acidic to alkali solutions, causes the change of microcrystal habitus from strongly distorted (pH ∼ 4) through faceted (pH ∼ 7) to smooth hemispheric (pH ∼ 10) ones. At neutral pH ∼ 7 the observed silver microcrystals demonstrated shapes with pentagonal symmetry including icosahedral microcrystals with incoming pentagonal facets at the icosahedron vertices that is unique for single-component small metallic particles. Such faceting has previously been reported only for bicompounent B6O icosahedral small particles [H. Hubert et al., Nature 391, 376 (1998)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]