skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Equilibrium Cu-Ag nanoalloy structure formation revealed by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments

Abstract

Using in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments, we observed the formation of a 3-dimensional (3D) epitaxial Cu-core and Ag-shell equilibrium structure of a Cu-Ag nanoalloy. The structure was formed during the thermal interaction of Cu(∼12 nm) and Ag NPs(∼6 nm) at elevated temperatures (150–300 °C) by the Ag NPs initially wetting the Cu NP along its (111) surfaces at one or multiple locations forming epitaxial Ag/Cu (111) interfaces, followed by Ag atoms diffusing along the Cu surface. This phenomenon was confirmed through Monte Carlo simulations to be a nanoscale effect related to the large surface-to-volume ratio of the NPs.

Authors:
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Sandia National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22269556
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
APL Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 2; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: (c) 2014 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2166-532X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; EPITAXY; HEATING; INTERACTIONS; MONTE CARLO METHOD; NANOSTRUCTURES; SURFACES; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Citation Formats

Lu, Ping, Chandross, Michael, Boyle, Timothy J., Clark, Blythe G., and Vianco, Paul. Equilibrium Cu-Ag nanoalloy structure formation revealed by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4866052.
Lu, Ping, Chandross, Michael, Boyle, Timothy J., Clark, Blythe G., & Vianco, Paul. Equilibrium Cu-Ag nanoalloy structure formation revealed by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4866052
Lu, Ping, Chandross, Michael, Boyle, Timothy J., Clark, Blythe G., and Vianco, Paul. 2014. "Equilibrium Cu-Ag nanoalloy structure formation revealed by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4866052.
@article{osti_22269556,
title = {Equilibrium Cu-Ag nanoalloy structure formation revealed by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments},
author = {Lu, Ping and Chandross, Michael and Boyle, Timothy J. and Clark, Blythe G. and Vianco, Paul},
abstractNote = {Using in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy heating experiments, we observed the formation of a 3-dimensional (3D) epitaxial Cu-core and Ag-shell equilibrium structure of a Cu-Ag nanoalloy. The structure was formed during the thermal interaction of Cu(∼12 nm) and Ag NPs(∼6 nm) at elevated temperatures (150–300 °C) by the Ag NPs initially wetting the Cu NP along its (111) surfaces at one or multiple locations forming epitaxial Ag/Cu (111) interfaces, followed by Ag atoms diffusing along the Cu surface. This phenomenon was confirmed through Monte Carlo simulations to be a nanoscale effect related to the large surface-to-volume ratio of the NPs.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4866052},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22269556}, journal = {APL Materials},
issn = {2166-532X},
number = 2,
volume = 2,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}