Facet-Dependent Strain Determination in Electrochemically Synthetized Platinum Model Catalytic Nanoparticles

Studying model nanoparticles is one approach to better understand the structural evolution of a catalyst during reactions. These nanoparticles feature well-defined faceting, offering the possibility to extract structural information as a function of facet orientation and compare it to theoretical simulations. Using Bragg Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging, the uniformity of electrochemically synthesized model catalysts is studied, here high-index faceted tetrahexahedral (THH) platinum nanoparticles at ambient conditions. 3D images of an individual nanoparticle are obtained, assessing not only its shape but also the specific components of the displacement and strain fields both at the surface of the nanocrystal and inside. The study reveals structural diversity of shapes and defects, and shows that the THH platinum nanoparticles present strain build-up close to facets and edges. A facet recognition algorithm is further applied to the imaged nanoparticles and provides facet-dependent structural information for all measured nanoparticles. In the context of strain engineering for model catalysts, this study provides insight into the shape-controlled synthesis of platinum nanoparticles with high-index facets.