Capping ligands are crucial to synthesize colloidal nanoparticles with novel functional properties. However, the interaction between capping ligands and their interaction with the crystallographic surfaces of nanoparticles during colloidal synthesis remains a great mystery, due to the lack of direct imaging techniques. In this study, atom probe tomography was adopted to investigate the three-dimensional atomic-scale distribution of two of the most common types of these ligands, cetrimonium and halide (Br and Cl) ions, on Pd nanoparticles. The results, validated using the density functional theory, demonstrated that the Br anions adsorbed on the nanoparticle surfaces promote the adsorption of the cetrimonium cations through electrostatic interactions, stabilizing the Pd {111} facets.
@article{arxiv.2105.08437,
title = {Three-dimensional Atomic Mapping of Ligands on Nanoparticles},
author = {Kyuseon Jang and Se-Ho Kim and Hosun Jun and Chanwon Jung and Jiwon Yu and Sangheon Lee and Pyuck-Pa Choi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.08437},
year = {2021}
}