Abstract
The valence band (VB) structures of face-centered-cubic Ag-Rh alloy nanoparticles (NPs), which are known to have excellent hydrogen-storage properties, were investigated using bulk-sensitive hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The observed VB spectra profiles of the Ag-Rh alloy NPs do not resemble simple linear combinations of the VB spectra of Ag and Rh NPs. The observed VB hybridization was qualitatively reproduced via a first-principles calculation. The electronic structure of the Ag0.5Rh0.5 alloy NPs near the Fermi edge was strikingly similar to that of Pd NPs, whose superior hydrogen-storage properties are well known.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 153109 |
Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
Volume | 105 |
Issue number | 15 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 13 2014 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)