Dissolved Carbon Controls the Initial Stages of Nanocarbon Growth

Sneaked in: Carbon atoms from defective supports are incorporated in nickel nanoparticles at relatively low temperatures (for example in a Ni(100) surface; Ni brown, C black) The dissolved carbon not only modifies the electronic properties of the metal but it also leads to a reconstruction of the nanoparticles. These findings may explain many of the differences in catalytic activity observed when supporting metals on carbon.