Quantitative evaluation of the alloying state in nanoalloy systems is key to understanding their functional properties in a diverse range of applications spanning from catalysis and plasmonics to biomedicine and so forth. Here, we develop a method to statistically and visually represent the sub-nanometer local compositional distribution in ternary nanoparticles (NPs) in terms of ternary histograms and kernel density estimation analysis. Further descriptive statistics is performed within the mathematical framework of compositional data analysis to account for the constant-sum constraint and positivity inherent to the nature of compositional data. The approach has been demonstrated on several conceptual particle models and real systems, namely, Pd–Rh–Ru and Ag–Au–Pd NPs, utilizing experimental X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) maps acquired from a scanning transmission electron microscope. We regard this as a useful tool for extending to other well-known configurations such as uniformly mixed solid solutions, core–shell, or phase-decomposed clusters often encountered in other nanoalloy systems. Proposed solutions to overcome common problems associated with NPs such as low X-ray counting and XEDS spectral overlapping are also presented and discussed.
Compositional and structural arrangements of constituent elements, especially those at the surface and near-surface layers, are known to greatly influence the catalytic performance of alloyed nanoparticles (NPs). Although much research effort often focuses on the ability to tailor these important aspects in the design stage, their stability under realistic operating conditions remains a major technical challenge. Here, the compositional stability and associated structural evolution of a ternary iridium–palladium–ruthenium (Ir–Pd–Ru) nanoalloy at elevated temperatures have been studied using interrupted in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy and theoretical modeling. The results are based on a combinatory approach of statistical sampling at the sub-nanometer scale for large groups of NPs as well as tracking individual NPs. We find that the solid solution Ir–Pd–Ru NPs (∼5.6 nm) evolved into a Pd-enriched shell supported on an alloyed Ir–Ru-rich core, most notably when the temperature exceeds 500 °C, concurrently with the development of expansive atomic strain in the outer surface and subsurface layers with respect to the core regions. Theoretically, we identify the weak interatomic bonds, low surface energy, and large atomic sizes associated with Pd as the key factors responsible for such observed features.
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.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.