Finite size effects on the metamagnetic phase transition in a thick B2 FeRh nanocluster film.

FeRh alloys in the CsCl-type (B2) chemically ordered phase present an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic order transition around 370 K observed in bulk and continuous films but absent in nanoclusters. In this study, we investigate the thermal magnetic behavior of a thick film composed of assembled FeRh nanoclusters preformed in the gas phase. This work reveals a broad and asymmetric metamagnetic transition with a consequent residual magnetization at low temperature.

Enhanced Light Trapping in GaAs/TiO-Based Photocathodes for Hydrogen Production.

Photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) are appealing devices for the production of renewable energy carriers. In this context, III-V semiconductors such as GaAs are very promising materials due to their tunable band gaps, which can be appropriately adjusted for sunlight harvesting. Because of the high cost of these semiconductors, the nanostructuring of the photoactive layer can help to improve the device efficiency as well as drastically reduce the amount of material needed.

Crystal Growth Mechanisms of BiFeO Nanoparticles.

A wet-chemical synthesis process was designed to obtain reproducible single-phase multiferroic BiFeO nanoparticles. The phase purity, single crystallinity, and size of the nanoparticles are confirmed through the analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns, Raman spectroscopy, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments. Crystal nucleation happens within the amorphous-rich area in multiple seeds, leading to the formation of single crystalline nanoparticles with no preferential faceting.

Atmosphere-dependent stability and mobility of catalytic Pt single atoms and clusters on γ-AlO.

Atomically dispersed metals promise the ultimate catalytic efficiency, but their stabilization onto suitable supports remains challenging owing to their aggregation tendency. Focusing on the industrially-relevant Pt/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and environmental scanning transmission electron microscopy allow us to monitor the stabilization of Pt single atoms under O2 atmosphere, as well as their aggregation into mobile reduced subnanometric clusters under H2. Density functional theory calculations reveal that oxygen from the gas phase directly contributes to metal-support adhesion, maximal for single Pt atoms, whereas hydrogen only adsorbs on Pt, and thereby leads to Pt clustering.

Shape-selective synthesis of nanoceria for degradation of paraoxon as a chemical warfare simulant.

Repeated attacks using organophosphorus compounds, in military conflicts or terrorist acts, necessitate developing inexpensive and readily available decontamination systems. Nanosized cerium oxide is a suitable candidate, acting as a heterogeneous catalyst for the degradation of organophosphorus compounds such as VX agent or sarin. However, the reaction mechanism of the phosphatase mimetic activity of CeO2 nanoparticles is not fully described.

Intracellular Biodegradation of Ag Nanoparticles, Storage in Ferritin, and Protection by a Au Shell for Enhanced Photothermal Therapy.

Despite their highly efficient plasmonic properties, gold nanoparticles are currently preferred to silver nanoparticles for biomedical applications such as photothermal therapy due to their high chemical stability in the biological environment. To confer protection while preserving their plasmonic properties, we allied the advantages of both materials and produced hybrid nanoparticles made of an anisotropic silver nanoplate core coated with a frame of gold. The efficiency of these hybrid nanoparticles (Ag@AuNPs) in photothermia was compared to monometallic silver nanoplates (AgNPs) or gold nanostars (AuNPs).

Three-Dimensional Self-Organization in Nanocomposite Layered Systems by Ultrafast Laser Pulses.

Controlling plasmonic systems with nanometer resolution in transparent films and their colors over large nonplanar areas is a key issue for spreading their use in various industrial fields. Using light to direct self-organization mechanisms provides high-speed and flexible processes to meet this challenge. Here, we describe a route for the laser-induced self-organization of metallic nanostructures in 3D.

Real-space mapping of electronic orbitals.

Electronic states are responsible for most material properties, including chemical bonds, electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as optical and magnetic properties. Experimentally, however, they remain mostly elusive. Here, we report the real-space mapping of selected transitions between p and d states on the Ångström scale in bulk rutile (TiO) using electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS), revealing information on individual bonds between atoms.

Spatially resolved surface valence gradient and structural transformation of lithium transition metal oxides in lithium-ion batteries.

Layered lithium transition metal oxides are one of the most important types of cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that possess high capacity and relatively low cost. Nevertheless, these layered cathode materials suffer structural changes during electrochemical cycling that could adversely affect the battery performance. Clear explanations of the cathode degradation process and its initiation, however, are still under debate and not yet fully understood.

Real-space localization and quantification of hole distribution in chain-ladder Sr3Ca11Cu24O41 superconductor.

Understanding the physical properties of the chain-ladder Sr3Ca11Cu24O41 hole-doped superconductor has been precluded by the unknown hole distribution among chains and ladders. We use electron energy-loss spectrometry (EELS) in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) at atomic resolution to directly separate the contributions of chains and ladders and to unravel the hole distribution from the atomic scale variations of the O-K near-edge structures. The experimental data unambiguously demonstrate that most of the holes lie within the chain layers.

Surface Segregation of Fe in Pt-Fe Alloy Nanoparticles: Its Precedence and Effect on the Ordered-Phase Evolution during Thermal Annealing.

Coupling electron microscopy techniques with in situ heating ability allows us to study phase transformations on the single-nanoparticle level. We exploit this setup to study disorder-to-order transformation of Pt-Fe alloy nanoparticles, a material that is of great interest to fuel-cell electrocatalysis and ultrahigh density information storage. In contrast to earlier reports, we show that Fe (instead of Pt) segregates towards the particle surface during annealing and forms a Fe-rich FeO outer shell over the alloy core.

The origin of anisotropy and high density of states in the electronic structure of Cr2GeC by means of polarized soft x-ray spectroscopy and ab initio calculations.

The anisotropy in the electronic structure of the inherently nanolaminated ternary phase Cr2GeC is investigated by bulk-sensitive and element selective soft x-ray absorption/emission spectroscopy. The angle-resolved absorption/emission measurements reveal differences between the in-plane and out-of-plane bonding at the (0001) interfaces of Cr2GeC. The Cr L(2, 3), C K, and Ge M1, M(2, 3) emission spectra are interpreted with first-principles density-functional theory (DFT) including core-to-valence dipole transition matrix elements.

Atomic Ordering in InGaN Alloys within Nanowire Heterostructures.

Ternary III-nitride based nanowires (NWs) are promising for optoelectronic applications by offering advantageous design and control over composition, structure, and strain. Atomic-level chemical ordering in wurtzite InGaN alloys along the c-plane direction with a 1:1 periodicity within InGaN/GaN NW heterostructures was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Atomic-number-sensitive imaging contrast was used to simultaneously assign the In-rich and Ga-rich planes and determine the crystal polarity to differentiate unique sublattice sites.

Strained lattice with persistent atomic order in Pt3Fe2 intermetallic core-shell nanocatalysts.

Fine-tuning nanocatalysts to enhance their catalytic activity and durability is crucial to commercialize proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The structural ordering and time evolution of ordered Pt3Fe2 intermetallic core-shell nanocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction that exhibit increased mass activity (228%) and an enhanced catalytic activity (155%) compared to Pt/C has been quantified using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. These catalysts were found to exhibit a static core-dynamic shell regime wherein, despite treating over 10,000 cycles, there is negligible decrease (9%) in catalytic activity and the ordered Pt3Fe2 core remained virtually intact while the Pt shell suffered a continuous enrichment.