Nanoalloys. From Fundamentals to Emergent Applications

Abstract

Metal alloys at the nanoscale are an even more dramatic challenge. The variability of their composition and structure, the dependence of their behavior on those char acteristics and the size of the nanoparticle, present us with a complexity, and, at the same time, a capacity to control properties, that we perhaps have never seen in any other form of matter. Most biomolecules are very complex, but making small changes in their composition or structure typically prevents them from functioning. Metal alloy nanoparticles can be changed a little in composition or structure and may well have only slightly altered properties—or may undergo very significant changes in behavior. We are just beginning to understand the nature of bonding in these systems, and of their kinetic behavior. As we learn more, and learn to control their composition, size and structure, we will develop the capability to make nanoscale devices with capabilities that are still unforeseen. This book describes how this field, potentially both deep in fundamentals and broad in applicability, is opening.