US researchers claim to have found a way to study the defects on surfaces of nanoparticles - the key to the activity of many catalysts.

Greater detail about the surface defects of nanoparticles can be obtained by using microscopy and computer modelling, according to Miguel Jose-Yacaman and his his research team from the University of Texas.

Software corrects distortions on gold-palladium nanoparticles through a process of aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy.

The researchers claim that the gold-palladium nanoparticles have three layers, each with a different ratio of the two metals.

Comparing their results with computer models, they found that the surface of the nanoparticle contained steps, edges and kinks.

Mr Jose-Yacaman told Chemical Science that the results show that "the surface of the particle is rather rough at the atomic scale" and he believes this could play an important part in the catalytic activity of the particles.

David Cockayne, Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Oxford, was enthusiastic about the work and said it demonstrates "enormous potential".

Source:

Zooming in on nanoparticles' defects, 19/03/08
http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemScience/Volume/2008/05/nanoparticle_defects.asp

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