Surface alloys in nanochemistry: catalysis and synthesis

Abstract

A surface alloy is a surface-confined solid solution of metals that do not form stable alloys in bulk. The chemical composition of a surface alloy is significantly different from that of the typical bulk alloy, so various catalysis and synthesis reactions take advantage of this unique surface. In this perspective, diverse chemical reactions involving surface alloys is covered. The first half of this article covers the catalytic activity of surface alloys in electrochemistry and organic chemistry. The latter half introduces use of surface alloys in nanomaterial synthesis and preparation.