Observations on the domain structures of V6C5

It has been found that the rate of cooling through the order–disorder transition in V6C5 has a considerable effect on the superlattice domain structure which is observed at room temperature using both electron and optical microscopy. The crystallography of domain boundaries is examined, and a relationship is found to explain important differences between the domains seen in the electron microscope and those seen in the optical microscope. Some observations are made on superlattice substructure which forms within domains when specimens are quenched to room temperature. Dislocations do not appear to be arranged as superdislocations, and under particular diffracting conditions their attendant antiphase domain boundaries exhibit strong contrast.