title: Trimetallic nanostructures: the case of AgPd-Pt multiply twinned nanoparticles.
abstract: We report the synthesis, structural characterization, and atomistic simulations of AgPd-Pt trimetallic (TM) nanoparticles. Two types of structure were synthesized using a relatively facile chemical method: multiply twinned core-shell, and hollow particles. The nanoparticles were small in size, with an average diameter of 11 nm and a narrow distribution, and their characterization by aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy allowed us to probe the structure of the particles at an atomistic level. In some nanoparticles, the formation of a hollow structure was also observed, that facilitates the alloying of Ag and Pt in the shell region and the segregation of Ag atoms on the surface, affecting the catalytic activity and stability. We also investigated the growth mechanism of the nanoparticles using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, and we have found that Pt regions grow at overpotentials on the AgPd nanoalloys, forming 3D islands at the early stages of the deposition process. We found very good agreement between the simulated structures and those observed experimentally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, USA. miguel.yacaman@utsa.edu.
authors.forename: Subarna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khanal
authors.forename: Nabraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bhattarai
authors.forename: J Jesús
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Velázquez-Salazar
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bahena
authors.forename: German
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soldano
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponce
authors.forename: Marcelo M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mariscal
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mejía-Rosales
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: José-Yacamán