The valence band structure of Ag{sub x}Rh{sub 1–x} alloy nanoparticles

Journal Article · Mon Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4896857· OSTI ID:22350918

Yang, Anli ^[1]; Sakata, Osami ^[1]; Kusada, Kohei; Kobayashi, Hirokazu ^[2]; Yayama, Tomoe; Ishimoto, Takayoshi ^[2]; Yoshikawa, Hideki ^[3]; Koyama, Michihisa ^[2]; others, and

---

1. Synchrotron X-ray Station at SPring-8, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5148 (Japan)
2. Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7 Goban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan)
3. Surface Chemical Analysis Group, Nano Characterization Unit, NIMS, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba 305-0047 (Japan)

The valence band (VB) structures of face-centered-cubic Ag-Rh alloy nanoparticles (NPs), which are known to have excellent hydrogen-storage properties, were investigated using bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The observed VB spectra profiles of the Ag-Rh alloy NPs do not resemble simple linear combinations of the VB spectra of Ag and Rh NPs. The observed VB hybridization was qualitatively reproduced via a first-principles calculation. The electronic structure of the Ag{sub 0.5}Rh{sub 0.5} alloy NPs near the Fermi edge was strikingly similar to that of Pd NPs, whose superior hydrogen-storage properties are well known.

• OSTI ID: 22350918
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 15; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
FCC LATTICES
HARD X RADIATION
HYDROGEN STORAGE
NANOPARTICLES
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
SPECTRA