Learning from nature: introducing an epiphyte–host relationship in the synthesis of alloy nanoparticles by co-reduction methods†
Abstract
This communication reports an epiphytic co-reduction method which can overcome the common tendency of sequential deposition in the synthesis of alloy nanoparticles. In this method the reduction of one of the metals (the epiphyte-metal) is only turned-on and rendered more facile by the in situ generated fresh surfaces of the other metal (the host-metal).