Controlled synthesis of FePt-Au hybrid nanoparticles triggered by reaction atmosphere and FePt seeds

We report an effective and facile method for synthesis of FePt-Au hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs). The typical secondary growth of Au proceeded in the presence of FePt seeds in organic solvents under a specific atmosphere. Interestingly, the type of atmosphere (Ar or Ar-H-2) and the size of selected FePt seeds were two major parameters determining the final morphology of FePt-Au HNPs. Enhancement of catalytic activity and stability of FePt-Au HNPs in methanol oxidation were achieved owing to interactions between Au and FePt. The optical properties of the resulting products can be steadily tuned which sheds light on their potential application in optical devices and bioimaging. The novel synthetic strategy offers an important tool towards multifunctional nanomaterials with designed architectures.