A bimetallic nanoparticle is a combination of two different metals that exhibit several new and improved properties.
[1][2][3] Bimetallic nano materials can be in the form of alloys, core-shell, or contact aggregate.
Due to their novel properties, they have gained a lot of attention among the scientific and industrial communities.
Electronic effects involve charge transfer or orbital hybridization between the constituent metals.
The chemical and environmental parameters during their synthesis play a role in determining their structural properties.
These light transition metals when present in their zerovalent states tend to undergo oxidation very quickly and therefore are unstable.
The aqueous solution of these complexes in different concentrations is taken in a quartz vessel and reduced using a photoreactor.
The size of the particle synthesized using this method can be controlled by manipulating the current density.
When current is passed ions of the metals are formed at the anode and are reduced by the electrons generated in the platinum electrode.
The major attractions of this method are its cost-effectiveness, high yield, ease of isolation, and the ability to control the composition of metal simply through variation of current density.
As the metal atoms are fixed on the surface individually, the synthesis of crown jewel structure is difficult.
The metal is atomized using an electron beam evaporator and the whole process is carried out in an ultra-high vacuum.
The diffusion process and direction of the reaction can be controlled by changing the chemical environment.
The core metal also electronically modifies the shell and thereby improves catalytic activity.
Due to the variation in their standard reduction potentials the metals tend to nucleate separately and form heterostructures or core-shell.
Synthesizing alloyed bimetallic nanoparticles require control over reaction kinetics.
The redox potentials of the metals are adjusted in such a way as to obtain simultaneous reduction through specific coordination or adsorption.