Hexatic phase in covalent two-dimensional silver iodide
According to the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Halperin-Nelson-Young (KTHNY) theory, the transition from a solid to liquid in two dimensions proceeds through an orientationally ordered liquid-like hexatic phase. However, alternative mixed melting scenarios, in which melting proceeds through the hexatic phase with both continuous and discontinuous transitions, have also been observed in some two-dimensional systems. In this study, we imaged silver iodide embedded in multilayer graphene using time- and temperature-resolved in situ atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and nanobeam electron diffraction. We observed the hexatic phase and provide evidence supporting a mixed melting scenario.
Authors
- Jani Kotakoski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1301-5266)
- Kimmo Mustonen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0953-7299)
- Viera Skákalová (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7016-8584)
- Jannik C. Meyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4023-0778)
- Timothy J. Pennycook (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0008-6516)
- Peter Kotrusz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9896-397X)
- Clemens Mangler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5870-4658)
- Thuy An Bui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5668-7809)
- Lado Filipovic (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1687-5058)
- Marcin Kurpas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9836-4173)
- Alexander Markevich (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7336-505X)
- Jacob Madsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5534-0553)
- David Lamprecht (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4107-4602)
Institutions
- University of Vienna (AT)
- TU Wien (AT)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- Institute of Physics (PL)
- Danubia NanoTech (Slovakia) (SK)
- Natural and Medical Sciences Institute (DE)
- Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
- University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (CZ)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science
- Published
- 2025-12-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv7915
- Primary Topic
- Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00