Revealing the atomic restructuring of Pt-Co nanoparticles.

Xin, Huolin L; Alayoglu, Selim; Tao, Runzhe; Genc, Arda; Wang, Chong-Min; Kovarik, Libor; Stach, Eric A; Wang, Lin-Wang et al. · Nano Lett · 2014

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We studied Pt-Co bimetallic nanoparticles during oxidation in O2 and reduction in H2 atmospheres using an aberration corrected environmental transmission electron microscope. During oxidation Co migrates to the nanoparticle surface forming a strained epitaxial CoO film. It subsequently forms islands via strain relaxation. The atomic restructuring is captured as a function of time. During reduction cobalt migrates back to the bulk, leaving a monolayer of platinum on the surface.