Abstract
Pt-based cluster have received much attention for their catalytic applications, while its stability property and phase diagram remain unclear. In this work, the structural, thermal and phase stability of Pt–Cu nanoclusters, with various atomic arrangement, morphologies and sizes, are studied by both atomistic simulations and theoretical model. Pt atoms tend to distribute around the surface and Cu atoms prefer occupying inner core, derived from the surface energies, lattice parameters and the binding energy of the metal bond. Furthermore, we focus on the melting points and phase diagrams of Pt–Cu nanoalloys with different morphologies and sizes. The melting point of Pt–Cu nanoparticles rises with the increasing size. The distribution of Pt atoms along surface enhances the structural and thermal stability of the Pt–Cu nanoalloys. This theoretical work serve as a case to explore the stability and segregation properties of nanoalloys by combining atomistic simulations and theoretical model, which provides a deep insight into the effect on the stability and segregation properties of bimetallic nanoparticles.
Change history
18 March 2021
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-021-02043-2
References
M. Ahmed, G. A. Attard, E. Wright, and J. Sharman (2013). Methanol and formic acid electrooxidation on nafion modified Pd/Pt {1 1 1}: the role of anion specific adsorption in electrocatalytic activity. Cataly. Today 202, 128–134.
D. Alloyeau, C. Ricolleau, C. Mottet, T. Oikawa, C. Langlois, Y. Le Bouar, N. Braidy, and A. Loiseau (2009). Size and shape effects on the order–disorder phase transition in CoPt nanoparticles. Nat. Mater. 8, 940.
M. Ammam and E. B. Easton (2013). PtCu/C and Pt (Cu)/C catalysts: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity towards ethanol electrooxidation. J. Power Sour. 222, 79–87.
F. Aqra and A. Ayyad (2011). Surface energies of metals in both liquid and solid states. Appl. Surf. Sci. 257, 6372–6379.
F. Baletto and R. Ferrando (2005). Structural properties of nanoclusters: energetic, thermodynamic, and kinetic effects. Rev. Modern Phys. 77, 371.
T. Bian, H. Zhang, Y. Jiang, C. Jin, J. Wu, H. Yang, and D. Yang (2015). Epitaxial growth of twinned Au–Pt core–shell star-shaped decahedra as highly durable electrocatalysts. Nano Lett. 15, 7808–7815.
N. M. Bulgakova, R. Stoian, A. Rosenfeld, I. V. Hertel, and E. E. B. Campbell (2004). Electronic transport and consequences for material removal in ultrafast pulsed laser ablation of materials. Phys. Rev. B 69, 054102.
M. K. Carpenter, T. E. Moylan, R. S. Kukreja, M. H. Atwan, and M. M. Tessema (2012). Solvothermal synthesis of platinum alloy nanoparticles for oxygen reduction electrocatalysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134, 8535–8542.
J. Carton, V. Lawlor, A. Olabi, C. Hochenauer, and G. Zauner (2012). Water droplet accumulation and motion in PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell mini-channels. Energy 39, 63–73.
D. Cheng, S. Huang, and W. Wang (2006). Thermal behavior of core-shell and three-shell layered clusters: melting of Cu 1 Au 54 and Cu 12 Au 43. Phys. Rev. B 74, 064117.
D. Cheng, S. Yuan, and R. Ferrando (2013). Structure, chemical ordering and thermal stability of Pt–Ni alloy nanoclusters. J. Phys. 25, 355008.
L. Cheng, M. Maosheng, and M. Yanming (2013). Structural evolution of carbon dioxide under high pressure. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 14167–14171.
F. Cleri and V. Rosato (1993). Tight-binding potentials for transition metals and alloys. Phys. Rev. B 48, 22.
C. Cui, L. Gan, M. Heggen, S. Rudi, and P. Strasser (2013). Compositional segregation in shaped Pt alloy nanoparticles and their structural behaviour during electrocatalysis. Nat. Mater. 12, 765.
C. Dai, Y. Yang, Z. Zhao, A. Fisher, Z. Liu, and D. Cheng (2017). From mixed to three-layer core/shell PtCu nanoparticles: ligand-induced surface segregation to enhance electrocatalytic activity. Nanoscale 9, 8945–8951.
F.-R. Fan, D.-Y. Liu, Y.-F. Wu, S. Duan, Z.-X. Xie, Z.-Y. Jiang, and Z.-Q. Tian (2008). Epitaxial growth of heterogeneous metal nanocrystals: from gold nano-octahedra to palladium and silver nanocubes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 6949–6951.
S. S. Fenton, V. Ramani, and J. M. Fenton (2006). Active learning of electrochemical engineering principles using a solar panel/water electrolyzer/fuel cell system. Interface-Electrochem. Soc. 15, 37–42.
R. Ferrando, J. Jellinek, and R. L. Johnston (2008). Nanoalloys: from theory to applications of alloy clusters and nanoparticles. Chem. Rev. 108, 845–910.
K. Fukui, B. G. Sumpter, M. D. Barnes, and D. W. Noid (1999). Molecular dynamics simulation of polymer fine particles. Phys. Mech. Prop. Polym. J. 31, 664.
J. Greeley, I. E. Stephens, A. S. Bondarenko, T. P. Johansson, H. A. Hansen, T. F. Jaramillo, J. Rossmeisl, I. Chorkendorff, and J. K. Nørskov (2009). Alloys of platinum and early transition metals as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts. Nat. Chem. 1, 552–556.
G. Guisbiers (2010). Size-dependent materials properties toward a universal equation. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 5, 1132.
G. Guisbiers and G. Abudukelimu (2013). Influence of nanomorphology on the melting and catalytic properties of convex polyhedral nanoparticles. J. Nanoparticle Res. 15, 1431.
G. Guisbiers and L. Buchaillot (2009). Universal size/shape-dependent law for characteristic temperatures. Phys. Lett. A 374, 305–308.
G. G. Guisbiers, S. Mejia-Rosales, S. Khanal, F. Ruiz-Zepeda, R. L. Whetten, and M. José-Yacaman (2014). Gold–copper nano-alloy, “Tumbaga”, in the era of nano: phase diagram and segregation. Nano Lett. 14, 6718–6726.
G. G. Guisbiers, R. N. Mendoza-Cruz, L. Bazán-Díaz, J. J. S. Velázquez-Salazar, R. Mendoza-Perez, J. A. Robledo-Torres, J.-L. Rodriguez-Lopez, J. M. Montejano-Carrizales, R. L. Whetten, and M. José-Yacamán (2015). Electrum, the gold–silver alloy, from the bulk scale to the nanoscale: synthesis, properties, and segregation rules. ACS Nano 10, 188–198.
K. Gupta (2009). The Cu–Ni–Y (Copper–Nickel–Yttrium) system. J. Phase Equilibria Diffus. 30, 651.
B. Jürgen and S. P. Rainer (2004). Structure and mechanical properties of high-porosity macroscopic agglomerates formed by random ballistic deposition. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 115503.
F. Jaouen, E. Proietti, M. Lefèvre, R. Chenitz, J.-P. Dodelet, G. Wu, H. T. Chung, C. M. Johnston, and P. Zelenay (2011). Recent advances in non-precious metal catalysis for oxygen-reduction reaction in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 114–130.
Q. Jiang and Z. Wen Thermodynamics of materials (Springer, New York, 2011).
J.-W. Kang and H.-J. Hwang (2001). Molecular dynamics simulation study of the mechanical properties of rectangular Cu nanowires. J. Kor. Phys. Soc. 38, 695–700.
C. Kittel and D. F. Holcomb (1967). Introduction to solid state physics. Am. J. Phys. 35, 547–548.
C.-L. Kuo and P. Clancy (2005). Melting and freezing characteristics and structural properties of supported and unsupported gold nanoclusters. J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 13743–13754.
H. Lei (2001). Melting of free copper clusters. J. Phys. 13, 3023.
L. Li, E. Yifeng, J. Yuan, X. Luo, Y. Yang, and L. Fan (2011). Electrosynthesis of Pd/Au hollow cone-like microstructures for electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation. Electrochimica Acta 56, 6237–6244.
M. Li and D. Cheng (2013). Molecular dynamics simulation of the melting behavior of crown-jewel structured Au–Pd nanoalloys. J. Phys. Chem. C 117, 18746–18751.
L. Liang, D. Liu, and Q. Jiang (2003). Size-dependent continuous binary solution phase diagram. Nanotechnology 14, 438.
C. Lu and C. Chen (2018). High-pressure evolution of crystal bonding structures and properties of FeOOH. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 2181–2185.
U. Mizutani (2012). Hume-Rothery rules for structurally complex alloy phases. MRS Bull. 37, 169.
P. Pawlow (1909). Über die Abhängigkeit des Schmelzpunktes von der Oberflächenenergie eines festen Körpers. Zeitschrift für physikalische Chemie 65, 1–35.
L. O. Paz-Borbón, R. L. Johnston, G. Barcaro, and A. Fortunelli (2008). Structural motifs, mixing, and segregation effects in 38-atom binary clusters. J. Chem. Phys. 128, 134517.
Z. Peng, J. Wu, and H. Yang (2009). Synthesis and oxygen reduction electrocatalytic property of platinum hollow and platinum-on-silver nanoparticles. Chem. Mater. 22, 1098–1106.
P. Philipsen and E. Baerends (1996). Cohesive energy of 3d transition metals: density functional theory atomic and bulk calculations. Phys. Rev. B 54, 5326.
P. Puri and V. Yang (2007). Effect of particle size on melting of aluminum at nano scales. J. Phys. Chem. C 111, 11776–11783.
E. Roduner (2006). Size matters: why nanomaterials are different. Chem. Soc. Rev. 35, 583–592.
G. Rossi, A. Rapallo, C. Mottet, A. Fortunelli, F. Baletto, and R. Ferrando (2004). Magic polyicosahedral core-shell clusters. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 105503.
H. P. Singh, N. Gupta, S. K. Sharma, and R. K. Sharma (2013). Synthesis of bimetallic Pt–Cu nanoparticles and their application in the reduction of rhodamine B. Coll. Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 416, 43–50.
P. J. Steinhardt, D. R. Nelson, and M. Ronchetti (1983). Bond-orientational order in liquids and glasses. Phys Rev B 28, 784.
B. Sundman and J. Ågren (1981). A regular solution model for phases with several components and sublattices, suitable for computer applications. J Phys Chem Solids 42, 297–301.
J. Suntivich, H. A. Gasteiger, N. Yabuuchi, H. Nakanishi, J. B. Goodenough, and Y. Shao-Horn (2011). Design principles for oxygen-reduction activity on perovskite oxide catalysts for fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Nat Chem 3, 546.
L.-L. Wang and D. D. Johnson (2009). Predicted trends of core − shell preferences for 132 late transition-metal binary-alloy nanoparticles. J Am Chem Soc 131, 14023–14029.
F. L. Williams and D. Nason (1974). Binary alloy surface compositions from bulk alloy thermodynamic data. Surf Sci 45, 377–408.
Y. Yang, Z. Zhao, R. Cui, H. Wu, and D. Cheng (2014). Structures, thermal stability, and chemical activity of crown-jewel-structured Pd–Pt nanoalloys. J. Phys. Chem. C 119, 10888–10895.
Y. Yang, Z. Zhao, R. Cui, H. Wu, and D. Cheng (2015). Structures, thermal stability, and chemical activity of crown-jewel-structured Pd–Pt nanoalloys. J. Phys. Chem. C 119, 10888–10895.
Z. Zhao, A. Fisher, and D. Cheng (2016). Phase diagram and segregation of Ag–Co nanoalloys: insights from theory and simulation. Nanotechnology 27, 115702.
Z. Zhao, M. Li, D. Cheng, and J. Zhu (2014). Understanding the structural properties and thermal stabilities of Au–Pd–Pt trimetallic clusters. Chem. Phys. 441, 152–158.
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21576008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Che, C., Xu, H., Wen, H. et al. Theoretical Study on the Structural, Thermal and Phase Stability of Pt–Cu Alloy Clusters. J Clust Sci 31, 615–626 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-019-01753-y
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-019-01753-y