Growth and shape stability of Cu–Ni core–shell nanoparticles: an atomistic perspective

The growth and shape stability of bi-metallic cubic Cu-Ni nanoparticles are studied using atomic-level simulations. Cubic nano-crystals coated with an ultra-thin Cu layer can be readily obtained when Ni cubic nanoparticles are used as the seeds. At elevated temperatures, the Cu seed with extending Ni branches preserves its shape compared to the Ni seed with extending Cu branches.