Particle size electronic structure

Besides the already mentioned techniques, a low-temperature plasma has been adopted to enhance the reaction in CVC. Through the synthesis of AIN UFPs by an RF-plasma-enhanced CVC using trimethylaluminum [A1(CH3)3] and NH3 as reactants, the effect of experimental parameters on the rate of powder formation, particle size, and structure was examined (60). A high RF current was primarily connected to a high electron density, which activated the gas-phase reaction to promote the powder formation rate. The increase of both susceptor temperature and A1(CH3)3 concentration also increased the powder formation rate and enhanced the grain growth, where both mechanisms—coalescence by particle collision and vapor deposition on to particle surfaces—were believed to occur. 

The difference in catalytic activity between supported cluster catalysts and conventional impregnated catalysts is interpreted on the basis of the metal site structure (coordination and particle size), the structural/electronic effects of support materials to the metal site, and the kinds of adsorbed/intermediate species on the surface [6-8]. In the cases of SO and NO reduction, the former two factors were recently investigated by ruthenium K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) [4,5,9]. 

The morphology, particle size and structure of the oxides were determined by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). BET surface area of the samples were measured by using Micromeritics ASAP-2000 instrument. The interaction of Ce with Mo and its effect on the nature of active oxygen species in the complex oxides were studied by using temperature-programmed reduction(TPR) and laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS). 

As with other diffraction techniques (X-ray and electron), neutron diffraction is a nondestructive technique that can be used to determine the positions of atoms in crystalline materials. Other uses are phase identification and quantitation, residual stress measurements, and average particle-size estimations for crystalline materials. Since neutrons possess a magnetic moment, neutron diffraction is sensitive to the ordering of magnetically active atoms. It differs from many site-specific analyses, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, vibrational, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies, in that neutron diffraction provides detailed structural information averaged over thousands of A. It will be seen that the major differences between neutron diffraction and other diffiaction techniques, namely the extraordinarily... 

The turnover frequency (TOP) based on surface-exposed atoms significantly increases with a decrease in the diameter of the gold particle from 5 nm [66]. This feature is unique to gold, because other noble metals usually show TOFs that decrease or remain the same with a decrease in the diameter [7]. The decrease in particle size gives rise to an increase in corner or edge and perimeter of NPs and change in electronic structure however, the origin of size effects on catalytic activity for CO oxidation is not clear. 

Fulda and Tieke [77] studied the effect of a bidisperse-size distribution of latex particles on the structure of the resulting LB monolayer. For this purpose, a mixed colloidal solution of particles la and lb was spread at the air-water interface. Particles la had a diameter of 434 nm, particles lb of 214 nm. The monolayer was compressed, transferred onto a solid substrate, and viewed in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). In Figure 10, SEM pictures of LB layers obtained from various bidisperse mixtures are shown. 

In 1989, we developed colloidal dispersions of Pt-core/ Pd-shell bimetallic nanoparticles by simultaneous reduction of Pd and Pt ions in the presence of poly(A-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) [15]. These bimetallic nanoparticles display much higher catalytic activity than the corresponding monometallic nanoparticles, especially at particular molecular ratios of both elements. In the series of the Pt/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles, the particle size was almost constant despite composition and all the bimetallic nanoparticles had a core/shell structure. In other words, all the Pd atoms were located on the surface of the nanoparticles. The high catalytic activity is achieved at the position of 80% Pd and 20% Pt. At this position, the Pd/Pt bimetallic nanoparticles have a complete core/shell structure. Thus, one atomic layer of the bimetallic nanoparticles is composed of only Pd atoms and the core is completely composed of Pt atoms. In this particular particle, all Pd atoms, located on the surface, can provide catalytic sites which are directly affected by Pt core in an electronic way. The catalytic activity can be normalized by the amount of substance, i.e., to the amount of metals (Pd + Pt). If it is normalized by the number of surface Pd atoms, then the catalytic activity is constant around 50-90% of Pd, as shown in Figure 13. 

The complexity of the particle size related changes in the cluster geometry and electronic structure renders the results of the theoretical calculations extremely useful when analyzing the experimentally observed trends. 

Accepting that the electronic structure of the metal clusters is in between the discreet electronic levels of the isolated atoms and the band structure of the metals, it is expectable that under a certain size the particle becomes nonmetallic. Indeed, theoretical estimations [102,105] suggest that the gap between the filled and empty electron states becomes comparable with the energy of the thermal excitations in clusters smaller than 50-100 atoms or 1 nm in size, where the particles start to behave as insulators. A... 

Instead, we believe the electronic structure changes are a collective effect of several distinct processes. For example, at surfaces the loss of the bulk symmetry will induce electronic states with different DOS compared to bulk. As the particle sizes are decreased, the contribution of these surface related states becomes more prominent. On the other hand, the decrease of the coordination number is expected to diminish the d-d and s-d hybridization and the crystal field splitting, therefore leading to narrowing of the valence d-band. At the same time, bond length contraction (i.e. a kind of reconstruction ), which was observed in small particles [89-92], should increase the overlap of the d-orbitals of the neighboring atoms, partially restoring the width of the d-band. 

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