Transmission electron microscopy study of epitaxial passive oxide films on nanoparticles of metals

摘要

Transmission electron microscopy study of nanoparticles of Fe, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu and stainless steel, prepared in Tianjin University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, along the and zone axes has shown that they are passivated by epitaxial oxide films a few nanometer thick. There is a wide spread of mismatch between the shell oxide and the core metal, ranging from about 3% in Fe to 19% in Ni and Co. The morphology of the nanoparticles and the structure of the oxide films depend on the passivation temperature and atmosphere, as well as the oxide metal mismatch.