Scientific Achievement
Revealed fundamental size-dependence of metal nanocrystals undergoing phase transitions.
Significance and Impact
Findings overturn long-held assumptions about nanoparticle behavior and hold important implications for the future design of hydrogen storage systems, catalysts, fuel cells, and batteries.
Research Details
- Developed a unique optical probe based on luminescence that provided the first direct observations of metal nanocrystals undergoing phase transformations during reactions with hydrogen gas.
- Used statistical mechanical model to quantify the observational data for palladium nanocubes of all sizes.
