Spark-Induced Melting

Submicrometer-sized spherical electrodes produced by spark-induced melting... 

Figure 63.1.7 Cyclic voltammetry of ferrocenedimethanol at submicrometer-sized spherical gold UMEs produced by spark-induced melting of the tip of etched gold microwires. The cyclic voltammograms (a and b) were recorded, respectively, at the UMEs shown in the SEM pictures (a and b) of Figure 6.3.7.4. From the value of the plateau currents, the UME diameters were estimated to be of (a) 250 nm and (b) 150 nm. The scan rate was of 20 mV sec . The forward and backward traces of each voltammogram are perfectly supeiimposable at this scan rate. The open circles correspond to the fit of the whole voltammogram using the equation given in the text and the following...

Nucleation can often be induced by agitation, mechanical shock, friction and extreme pressures within solutions and melts, as shown by the early experiments of Young (1911) and Berkeley (1912). The erratic effects of external influences such as electric and magnetic fields, spark discharges, ultra-violet light. X-rays, 7-rays, sonic and ultrasonic irradiation have also been studied over many years (Khamskii, 1969) but so far none of these methods has found any significant application in large-scale crystallization practice. 

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