NSU scientists conducted research on chemical compounds that studied a new subclass of 鈥渂reathing鈥� crystals that are capable of changing volume and color under the influence of temperature changes. The research will help create a temperature sensor with a widely customizable range. Sensors with a wide range of operation can be used in astronautics and other industries.
Kristina Smirnova, NSU Physics Department graduate student described the work,
Breathing crystals, as a class of compounds, were obtained by Academician V.I. Ovcharenko at the beginning of this century at the International Tomography Center (ITC) SB RAS. Their unique property is the ability to significantly change volume under the influence of changes in environmental parameters such as temperature, pressure, or light irradiation and then restore it again.
Currently, progress is being made in predicting the magnetic properties of breathing crystals based on their atomic structure. The global goal of the research is to predict the magnetic and other physical properties of compounds solely on the basis of their atomic structure, without the need for direct testing. However, new subclasses of compounds with different physical properties are constantly emerging. One of these subclasses, crystals that change volume under the influence of temperatures in the range fr om -100 to 77 掳 C and at the same time change color, were the focus of our research.
Smirnova emphasized,
These properties will make it possible to use these crystals to create sensors with a wide and customizable range of operation, for example, in the space industry, wh ere these temperatures are reached. Theoretically, sensors with a wide range can be used in any industry that requires temperature control.
The researcher noted that before obtaining 鈥渂reathing鈥� crystals with the desired characteristics to create finished devices, scientists still have a lot of work to do. She plans to conduct part of her future research at the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF). It has equipment that allows studying the structure of matter at extremely high pressures as well as conducting experiments to determine the structure of compounds at ordinary and at low temperatures. These are impossible to carry out using standard laboratory equipment. These experiments should be able to start at the end of next year. Creating a finished device is a separate engineering and scientific task that can be solved in collaboration with scientists from other institutes focused on creating the device.
This research is conducted within the framework of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science Program 鈥淧riority 2030鈥� (national project 鈥淪cience and Universities鈥�).
