Solution plasma synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles

This paper describes the facile solution plasma synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles, including solid solution alloys (Ni-Cu and Ni-Cr system), eutectic alloys of Sn-Pb, and intermetallic alloys (SnSb and Ni₃Sn), by using metallic alloy wire as the cathode and Pt wire as the anode. In the typical process, the cathode was melted by the local-concentration of current, upon applying a DC voltage between the two electrodes immersed in the electrolyte. The solid solution alloys of Ni-Cu and Ni-Cr prepared in this study have a uniform distribution of composition. On the other hand, the uniformity in the composition of the eutectic Sn-Pb alloy depends on the microstructure of the electrode. The use of quenched electrode with small crystal grains favors the formation of Sn-Pb alloy nanoparticles, in which the Sn-rich and Pb-rich phases coexist in each particle. The formation of intermetallic SnSb and Ni₃Sn alloy nanoparticles is accompanied by the formation of colloidal oxide. These results demonstrate that the solution plasma technique is applicable not only for the synthesis of pure metals but can also be used for the synthesis of various alloy nanoparticles.