On the possibilities of recognizing the architecture of binary Pt–M nanoparticles

The identification of subtle structural effects in bimetallic nanoparticles via conventional methods is discussed using the example of PtCu/C nanostructured electrocatalysts. The divergence factors between experimental X-ray diffraction profiles and patterns simulated in the single-phase approximation for pure (or solid solution) and bi-phase metals in a suspected core–shell structure are found to be different. The catalysts containing the core–shell nanoparticles may be chosen from some materials with nanoparticles of different architectures based on X-ray diffraction and cyclic voltammetry data if the nanoparticles consist of a relatively massive Cu core and a thick Pt shell.