Individual nanoparticles of aluminum, gold, nickel, and platinum deposited on a pyrolytic graphite surface

The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) of aluminum, gold, nickel, and platinum have been determined by methods of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, Auger spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The geometric sizes, electronic structure, and surface chemical composition of the NPs have been established. The adsorption heat and the effective activation energy have been determined using the example of the interaction between hydrogen and gold, nickel, and platinum NPs.