Physical Synthesis of Nanoalloys

Abstract This chapter deals with the production of bimetallic clusters and nanoalloy particles using various methods in the gas phase. The kinetic processes of initial nucleation, involving recombination and dissociation reactions, and further growth via irreversible aggregation are discussed to provide insight in the formation of clusters in the presence of a buffer gas. An overview of the different types of sources used for the production of clusters and nanoparticles is presented, emphasizing the modifications to these sources for generating multi-element clusters and alloy nanoparticles. Various ways to achieve control over particle size, composition, and chemical ordering using dual-laser dual-target ablation and multi-magnetron sputtering sources are commented on. The chapter ends with a discussion of the state-of-the-art developments concerning scaling up the production of clusters and nanoparticles using physical methods.