Front Cover: Facile Synthesis of Pd−Cu Bimetallic Twin Nanocubes and a Mechanistic Understanding of the Shape Evolution (ChemNanoMat 3/2020)

Abstract

Using Pd nanoplates as the seeds, Pd-Cu nanocrystals with planar defects are synthesized. The Cu atoms nucleate from one of the two basal faces on the Pd nanoplates in an asymmetric pattern due to the large lattice mismatch between the two metals. The planar defects are transferred into the Cu lattice. With the use of hexadecylamine and Cl− as the capping agents for Cu{100}, the final Cu-Pd nanocrystals take a cubic shape in the case of hexagonal seeds with an even number of planar defects, whereas triangular seeds with a single planar defect leads to the formation of right bipyramids. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Younan Xia et al. on page 386 in Issue 3, 2020 (DOI: 10.1002/cnma.201900653).