Determination of the surface structure peculiarities of nanoscale metal particles via small-angle X-ray scattering

The typical distortions of the particle size distribution functions are calculated from the smallangle X-ray diffraction for nanoscale transition metal powders and their mutual binary systems. The abnormal negative distribution functions are established to be caused by the presence of a thin nanoscale (oxide or hydroxide) shell at the metal nanoparticle surface with the electronic (scattering) density inferior to the electronic density of the nucleus. The analysis of the intensity and position of the abnormal minimum and maximum of the distribution function using computer modeling of the inhomogeneous particle scattering and experimental methods allows assuming the structure of the diffracting particles and evaluating the nucleus size and the relative outer shell density.