SYALIATIE BT MAT HUSSIN

E15A0288
NANOALLOYS

INTRODUCTION

A nanoalloy (also known as nanoparticles) can be defined as an alloy containing dispersed nanoparticles
of two or more metals. In literature nanoalloys are commonly referred to as alloy nanoparticles and
alloy nonclusters. Nanoalloys have become of interest because of their unique physical and chemical
properties. Alloy nanoparticles are multi component metallic particles in the 1-100 nm diameter range.

Nanoalloys interesting from a basic science point-of-view due to the complexity of their structures and
properties, which crucially depend on their size, composition and chemical ordering, and which can
therefore be tailored for specific and industrially relevant applications - as in data storage, optical
devices and catalysis.

The nanoalloys present a rich variety of geometric structures as it is metallic nanoparticles. The variety
of possible geometric in nanoalloys is even more impressive. The structural motifs of nanoalloys are
considered without taking into account the chemical identities of atoms at different sites. Therefore,
what follows has a straight forward application to elemental nanoparticles.

The structural motifs are mainly divided into two classes; the crystalline and the noncrystalline motifs.
Crystalline motifs are fragments of bulk crystals, for example, fragments of the face-centered cubic
(FCC), body- centered cubic(BCC) and hexagonal close-packed (HEP) lattices, which are the most
common crystal lattice that are found in pure metals. Noncrystalline motifs are possible because the
constraint of translational does not apply to clusters and nanoparticles, which can thus assume shapes
that are not fragments of any crystal lattice. The most common noncrystalline structures for pure metal
nanoparticles are the icosahedrons (Ih) and the decahedron (Dh), and other FCC twinned structures.
However, in nanoalloys, others structures such as polyicosahedra are also possible for small sizes.
TYPE OF NANOALLOYS

Nanoalloy s can be classified by their mixing patterns, which can also be referred to as chemical
ordering. The mixing pattern of nanoalloys or bimetallic alloy nanoparticles are important because these
structure determine the physical and chemical properties of resulting nanoalloys, which in turn will
determine what applications the alloy nanoparticles are suited for. There are three types of mixing
pattern which are in core-shell segregated nanoalloys, subcluster segregated nanoalloys and mixed
core-shell nanoalloys.

In core- shell segregated nanoalloys is consists of a cluster of one element called the core that is
surrounded by a cluster of another element referred to as the shell. It has been seen that a mixing
between the core and shell can occur. Then the second type of mixing pattern is subcluster segregated
nanoalloys which contain a cluster of one type of atoms. These subclusters can share a mixed interface
or can share bonds. From literature it is believed that this type of mixing pattern is theoretically
possible; however, experimentally it has not yet been seen. Lastly is a mixed core-shell nanoalloy can
either be ordered or random. According to literature the random mixing pattern is the most common.
Multishell nanoalloys can also be referred to as a layered or an onion like pattern. These mixing patterns
contain two or more of other types of atoms called the shell, which is surrounding another cluster of
atoms. Examples for this type mixing in common are in Cu-Ag, Ni-Ag and Pd-Ag nanoclusters.

APPLICATIONS OF NANOALLOYS

1) Catalysis
The use of nanoalloys in catalysis is attracting a lot of attention because it has been shown that the
catalysis of a metal can be improved by alloying two or more metals and forming bimetallic or
trimetallic nanoalloys. Also, by using nanoalloys the surface area of the catalyst can be increased.
Currently catalysis is the most common application of nanoalloys. Palladium and platinum metals
are the most commonly used and widely studied catalyst but there are expensive. Then, in order to
reduce the cost, either palladium or platinum is alloyed with less-expensive metal such as nickel,
copper or cobalt to form bimetallic nanoalloy catalyst or nanocatalyst. Some common examples of
these nanocatalysts include Pd-Pt, Ni-Pd, Ni-Pt, Cu-Pd, and Pt-Au.

Pd-Pt nanoalloy catalysts are used not only in catalytic converters but also in the reduction by
hydrogenation of aromatic compounds.Ni-Pd nanoalloy catalysts are used in the hydrogenation of
nitrogen substituted aromatic compounds.Ni-Pt alloy nanoparticles are used as electrocatalysts for
oxygen reduction in fuel cells. Cu-Pd nanoalloys are of interest because they improve the selectivity
of some catalytic processes such as isomeration, aromatization, carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation
and (CO) hydrogenation. Pt-Au nanoalloys are used for the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol
and also for the electrocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide.
2) Biomedical
There is growing interest in the use of nanosystems such as nanoalloys, bimetallic nanoparticles,
metallic nanoparticles and magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical applications. These applications
can be as diverse as hyperthermic treatment, targeted drug delivery, bioimaging, cell labeling and
gene delivery.
- Hyperthermia
Is a therapeutic technique that is used to treat malignant tumors and other growths. It has been
observed that cancer is more sensitive to heat than normal cell. Hyperthermia technique is
carried out by raising the temperature of the specific region of the body where the tumor is
growing to above 410C. This procedure involves dispersing magnetic nanoparticles, usually
magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as they are supermagnetic and the process is enhanced,
throughout the region of interest. An alternating magnetic field is then applied. The current
flows with the metal nanoparticles, and when the metallic nanoparticles a start to resist the
current they heat up. An advantage of magnetic particle hyperthermia is that it only allows
heating in a specific region.
- Drug delivery
It was in the late 1970s when the idea of targeted drug delivery was first develop. The idea was
to use biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles as a carrier and attach the drug to this and target
the tumor areas. The magnetic nanoparticles used were ferrofluids, which were coated with a
biocompatible material such as polymers, gold or SiO2, to protect them against oxidation. The
effect of this type of therapy is dependent on factors such as the strength of the magnetic field,
the gradient, volume and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles. This type of therapy is
becoming increasingly popular in cancer research.

However, the use of nanoalloys in these applications has received only limited attention due to the fact
that there were many unanswered questions and concerns regarding nanoparticles and nanoalloys such
as their stability over time, tendency to agglomerate, chemical activity, ease of oxidation,
biocompatibility and cytotoxicity. In this chapter we survey current applications and advances in
magnetic nanoparticles used in these biomedical applications so as to understand the materials
properties that can pave the way for the use of nanoalloys as a potential alternative or improve
solutions that are offered by current materials.
REFERENCES

(2016). In R. Ferrando, Structure and Properties of Nanoaloys, Volume 10 1st Edition (p. 225). United
States of America: Elsevier.

Ferrando, R. (n.d.). structure and properties of nanoalloys. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from BUYEBOOKS:
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Nanoalloys. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2017, from eBook: springer.com

Tofail, K. M. (2015, May 29). nanosystem: the use of nanoalloys, metallic, biomatelic, and magnetic
nanoparticles in biomedical applications. Retrieved March 25, 2017, from pubs.rsc.org