Formation mechanism of high-index faceted Pt-Bi alloy nanoparticles by evaporation-induced growth from metal salts

Abstract

Nanoparticles with high-index facets are intriguing because such facets can lend the structure useful functionality, including enhanced catalytic performance and wide-ranging optical tunability. Ligand-free solid-state syntheses of high index-facet nanoparticles, through an alloying-dealloying process with foreign volatile metals, are attractive owing to their materials generality and high yields. However, the role of foreign atoms in stabilizing the high-index facets and the dynamic nature of the transformation including the coarsening and facet regulation process are still poorly understood. Herein, the transformation of Pt salts to spherical seeds and then to tetrahexahedra, is studied in situ via gas-cell transmission electron microscopy. The dynamic behaviors of the alloying and dealloying process, which involves the coarsening of nanoparticles and consequent facet regulation stage are captured in the real time with a nanoscale spatial resolution. Based on additional direct evidence obtained using atom probe tomography and density functional theory calculations, the underlying mechanisms of the alloying-dealloying process are uncovered, which will facilitate broader explorations of high-index facet nanoparticle synthesis.