Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Vol.559, 99-102, 2003
Preparation and characterization of Au/Co nano-alloys
In this work we attempted to prepare binary alloy nanoparticles consisting of Au and Co, which is a typical phase-separation system in a bulk phase diagram, via a vacuum co-evaporation method. The crystal structure and lattice constant of the Au/Co nano-alloys obtained were investigated by means of a high-resolution transmission electron microscope and selected area electron diffraction. We obtained thermodynamically stable Au/Co nano-alloys with A1 structure upon heat-treatment at a certain temperature, and a partial transition from A1 to an ordered L1(0) structure also took place. The results in the present study demonstrated the thermodynamical differences on alloying behavior between bulk and nanoscopic materials. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.