MgO single crystals and thin films were intentionally hydrated to determine the critical factors affecting the hydration behavior. The degree of hydration was affected by the crystallographic orientation in the initial stages. The (111) plane showed a higher tendency to hydrate than (100). The shape of the hydration clusters also differed according to the orientation of MgO single crystals. After long-term hydration, the density and grain size appeared to influence the hydration along with the orientation. On low-density thin films, Mg atoms are easily supplied to the surface, which induces large hydration clusters. As the grain boundary area increased, the number of nucleation sites for the formation of hydration clusters increased, which increases the number of clusters. Hydration also occurred in the inner part of thin films. The density of thin films is the most important property in this case because it governs the diffusion of Mg atoms, water, and OH through the thin films.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.