title: Formation of Pt-Zn Alloy Nanoparticles by Electron-Beam Irradiation of Wurtzite ZnO in the TEM.
abstract: As is well documented, platinum nanoparticles, promising for catalysts for fuel cells, exhibit better catalytic activities, when alloyed with Zn. Pre-existing syntheses of Pt-Zn alloy catalysts are composed of a number of complex steps. In this study, we have demonstrated that nanoparticles of Pt-Zn alloys are simply generated by electron-beam irradiation in a transmission electron microscope of a wurtzite ZnO single-crystal specimen. The initial ZnO specimen is considered to have been contaminated by Pt during specimen preparation by focused ion beam milling. The formation of the nanoparticle is explained within the framework of ionization damage (radiolysis) by electron-beam irradiation and accompanying electrostatic charging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Institute of Advanced Materials (RIAM), Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea. bolee@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Sung Bo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3482-8610
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Gyeongbuk Science Technology Promotion Center, Gumi Electronics & Information Technology Research Institute, Gumi 39171, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jucheol
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Stuttgart Center for Electron Microscopy, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Heisenbergstrasse 1, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van Aken
keywords: Electron-beam irradiation; Nanoparticle; Transmission electron microscopy