Open AccessEnhanced oxidation resistance of active nanostructures via dynamic size effect
Author(s) -
Yun Liu,
Fan Yang,
Yi Zeng,
Jianping Xiao,
Liang Yu,
Qingfei Liu,
Yanxiao Ning,
Zhiwen Zhou,
Hao Chen,
Wugen Huang,
Ping Liu,
Xinhe Bao
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
nature communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.559
H-Index - 365
ISSN - 2041-1723
DOI - 10.1038/ncomms14459
Subject(s) - nanostructure , nanomaterials , limiting , redox , nanotechnology , active oxygen , chemical engineering , materials science , oxygen , chemistry , molecular dynamics , chemical physics , inorganic chemistry , computational chemistry , organic chemistry , mechanical engineering , engineering
A major challenge limiting the practical applications of nanomaterials is that the activities of nanostructures (NSs) increase with reduced size, often sacrificing their stability in the chemical environment. Under oxidative conditions, NSs with smaller sizes and higher defect densities are commonly expected to oxidize more easily, since high-concentration defects can facilitate oxidation by enhancing the reactivity with O 2 and providing a fast channel for oxygen incorporation. Here, using FeO NSs as an example, we show to the contrary, that reducing the size of active NSs can drastically increase their oxidation resistance. A maximum oxidation resistance is found for FeO NSs with dimensions below 3.2 nm. Rather than being determined by the structure or electronic properties of active sites, the enhanced oxidation resistance originates from the size-dependent structural dynamics of FeO NSs in O 2 . We find this dynamic size effect to govern the chemical properties of active NSs.