Nanoscale imaging method offers insight into alloyed nanoparticle synthesis

Catalysts, often metal nanoparticles, are involved in the production of over 80% of commercial products such as plastics, fuels and pharmaceuticals. Computational methods aid in designing nanoparticle catalysts consisting of mixtures of metals, called alloyed nanoparticles, with high reaction activity and selectivity. However, producing alloyed nanoparticles with arbitrary composition in the lab do not yet exist. Indeed, the fundamental chemistry of alloyed nanoparticle synthesis remains an enigma.