Tiny seeds make a big difference

A seeded-growth approach provides shape-controlled bimetallic nanocrystals and opens the
way for a rich selection of new nanoscale building blocks.

The research paper reports platinum nanocubes as seeds, onto which palladium was overgrown epitaxially, yielding Pt–Pd bimetallic core–shell nanocubes. The cubic Pt seeds not only provide a well-defined surface for the overgrowth of the secondary metal, but also dictate its shape — tailored chemistry enables epitaxial core–shell particles with different shapes to
be produced

Source :

Nanocrystals: Tiny seeds make a big difference - pp625 - 626
Uri Banin
In nature Materials

doi:10.1038/nmat1993