One-Step Generation of Alloyed, Core@Shell and Core@Shell@Shell Nanoparticles by gas aggregation

Abstract

The fast growing nanotechnology is demanding high-quality multifunctional nanoparticles for the fabrication of more complex materials [1]. In such context the gas aggregation synthesis of nanoparticles has merged as a promising technique for the fabrication of well-defined nanoparticles not only for fundamental studies, but also for targeted applications [2-4] In this talk we will present a relatively new fabrication route based on the magnetron sputtering gas aggregation source that allows the generation of nanoparticles with controllable and tunable chemical composition and structure. This technique, called Multiple Ion Cluster Source (MICS), is an evolution of the standard Ion Cluster Sources (ICS) [5]. Through examples, we will show that the MICS technique allows the one-step generation of alloyed [6], core-shell and core@shell@shell nanoparticles [7]. In particular, we will show that the atoms of the core and the shell of the nanoparticles can be easily inverted, avoiding the intrinsic constraints of chemical methods. Finally we will address the up-scaling of the technique to the pre-industrial stage, which remains a long lasting and challenging topic.