SPECTROSCOPIC EVIDENCE FOR LARGE (MUCH-LESS-THAN-1-MU-M) LITHIUM-COLLOID CREATION IN ELECTRON-IRRADIATED LI2O SINGLE-CRYSTALS

We have created lithium metal colloids by electron-irradiating single crystals of lithium oxide near 0 degrees C. The striking feature is th e observation of two kinds of colloids manifesting, themselves as two EPR metallic lines, the narrow line corresponding to small metallic cl usters (size <1 mu m) and the broad one associated with large metallic colloids visible by optical microscopy (similar to 20 mu m), The latt er are also observed by NMR. A further indication for the presence of colloids of different types is the differing recovery behavior of the two EPR lines in an annealing treatment.