Reshaping of Metal Nanoparticles Under Reaction Conditions

The shape of metal nanoparticles (NPs) is one of the key factors determining their catalytic reactivity. Recent in situ TEM observations show that dynamic reshaping of metal NPs occurs under the reaction conditions, which becomes a major hurdle for fully understanding catalytic mechanisms at the molecular level. This Minireview provides a summary of the latest progress in characterizing and modeling the equilibrium shape of metal NPs in various reactive environments through the joint effort of state-of-the-art in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy experiments and a newly developed multiscale structure reconstruction model. The quantitative agreement between the experimental observations and theoretical modeling demonstrate that the fundamental mechanism of the reshaping phenomenon is driven by anisotropically changed surface energies under gas adsorption. The predictable reshaping of metal NPs paves the way for the rational design of truly efficient nanocatalysts in real reactions.