In-situ atomic tracking of intermetallic compound formation during thermal annealing

Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with ordered atomic structure have gained great attention as nanocatalysts for its enhanced activity and stability. Although the reliance of IMC preparation on high-temperature annealing is well known, a comprehensive understanding of the formation mechanisms of IMCs in this process is currently lacking. Here, we employ aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (AC-HAADF-STEM) to track the formation process of IMCs on carbon supports during in-situ annealing, by taking PtFe as a case study within an industry-relevant impregnation synthesis framework. We directly discern five different stages at the atomic level: initial atomic precursors; Pt cluster formation; Pt-Fe disordered alloying; structurally ordered Pt₃Fe formation, and final Pt₃Fe-PtFe IMC conversion. In particular, we find that the crucial role of high-temperature annealing resides in facilitating the diffusion of Fe towards Pt, enabling the creation of alloys with the targeted stoichiometric ratio, which in turn provides the thermodynamic driving force for the disorder-to-order transition.