Size- and composition-controlled Au-Ga aerosol nanoparticles

A simple gas-phase method has been developed for producing size- and composition-controlled nanoparticles of binary alloys. The process includes the formation and classification of aerosol nanoparticles of one material and the subsequent condensation of a controlled shell of another. The shell thickness is controlled by the evaporation temperature of the second material. Here we study the Au-Ga system with particle compositions ranging from pure Au to 50 atomic percent Ga. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the morphology, composition, and structure of the generated particles.