Synergizing ICP-MS, STEM-EDXS, and SMPS single particle analytics exemplified by superlattice L1 Pt/Fe aerosol nanoparticles produced by spark ablation.

Spark ablation was used to continuously synthesize bimetallic L1 Pt/Fe nanoparticles in an aerosol process involving a furnace and hydrogen as a reducing process gas. For the formation of Pt/Fe in the favorable L1 crystal configuration, which is a promising electrocatalyst, the Pt-Fe ratio plays a crucial role. State-of-the-art analytics for such multi-element nanoparticles include, among others, electron microscopy (EM) with an element mapping function, such as scanning transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDXS).