Nanoparticles Nanoparticles as Catalysts in Chemical Reactions

Fuel Cells• began with relatively largeplatinum particles scattered ona carbon surface.• oscillating voltage, whichinduces alternating chemicalreactions that determinewhere platinum atoms willaccumulate and where theywon't.• layer of platinum oxide formson other parts of thenanoparticle, protecting ti them.• The resulting 24-sided shapes,called tetrahexahedra, were thefirst such shapes formedartificially in metals, saysZhong Lin Wang, professorof materials science andengineering i at Georgia Tech.http://www.technologyreview.com/files/10884/catalyst_x220.jpg