Pure lead nanoparticles with stable metallic surfaces, on perovskite lead strontium titanate particles.

We demonstrate an efficient method of fabrication for pure lead nanoparticles with non-oxidized surfaces, supported on perovskite lead strontium titanate particles with a size distribution from tens to several hundreds of nanometers. The fabrication method is based on co-precipitation and subsequent annealing in air at 600 degrees C. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the pure lead nanoparticles show structural fluctuations under intense electron-beam irradiation, like gold and platinum nanoparticles.

A gradational system for ferroelectric nanosized (Pb(0.7)Sr(0.3))TiO(3) particles.

Synchrotron radiation x-ray diffraction measurement was performed to investigate the size effect in ferroelectric nanosized (Pb(0.7)Sr(0.3))TiO(3) particles with various sizes ranging from 10 to 200 nm. The 200 and 002 Bragg reflections were separated using low energy synchrotron radiation x-rays. The peak profiles of the 002 reflections show a large broadening and asymmetry for all particle sizes compared with those of the 200 reflections. These anomalously wide and asymmetric peak profiles become marked for peaks with a large l. The aspect ratio of the lattice constants c/a and the atomic distance between the anions and cations decrease gradually in the vicinity of the surface of the particles, indicating that the asymmetrical profiles can be attributed to the formation of a gradational system.