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Published on: February 5, 2016
A surface phase transition of supported gold nanoparticles
Anton Plech1, Roland Cerna, Vassilios Kotaidis
1Department of Physics and Center for Applied Photonics, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany. anton.plech@uni-konstanz.de
Nano Letters
|March 14, 2007
Summary
Researchers observed a thermal phase transition in gold nanoparticles. Surface melting begins at 104°C, causing abrupt changes in vibrational modes, indicating a structural shift in the nanoparticles.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Nanotechnology
- Materials science
Background:
- Gold nanoparticles exhibit unique properties influenced by their size and surface structure.
- Understanding thermal behavior is crucial for applications of nanomaterials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thermal phase transition in surface-supported gold nanoparticles.
- To resolve the vibrational modes of gold nanoparticles as a function of annealing temperature.
Main Methods:
- Utilized asynchronous optical sampling with coupled femtosecond oscillators.
- Analyzed Lamb vibrational modes across a range of annealing temperatures.
Main Results:
- Observed abrupt changes in damping rate and phase at 104°C.
- Identified a structural transition in gold nanoparticles at this temperature.
Conclusions:
- The observed structural transition is attributed to the onset of surface melting in gold nanoparticles.
- This finding provides insight into the thermal stability and phase behavior of supported nanoparticles.
