Nanoparticle Near-Surface Electric Field

Theoretical studies show that surface reconstruction in some crystals involves splitting the surface atomic layer into two—upper and lower—sublayers consisting of atoms with only positive or only negative effective electric charges, respectively. In a macroscopic crystal with an almost infinite surface, the electric field induced by such a surface-dipole is practically totally concentrated between the sublayers. However, when the material is powdered and its particles are of sufficiently small sizes, an electric field of a significant magnitude can be induced outside the sublayers as well. We have calculated the distribution of the electric field and its potential induced at the surface of a disc-shaped particle. The suggested novel nanoscale effect explains the increase in physical reactivity of nanopowders with decreasing particle sizes.