Eur. Phys. J. D 43, 151-154 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00063-3

Chemically induced morphology change in cluster-based nanostructures

¹ Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS, UPR 3321, Université Paris-Sud, Campus Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
² Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, UMR 8502, Université Paris-Sud, Campus Orsay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France

Corresponding author: ^a mouari.kebaili@lac.u-psud.fr

Received: 23 July 2006
Revised: 29 September 2006
Published online: 24 May 2007

Abstract

Preformed clusters carrying surfactant are used as primary blocks for the building of nano structures. Self assembly of silver atom based clusters, soft landed on a HOPG surface, generates a large variety of new architectures depending on the nature and on the concentration of the impurities. Fractal shapes fragmented into multiple compact like islands, and chain like structures might be formed. A strong local enhancement of the silver atom mobility at the surface of islands is responsible for those morphology changes.