Free silver nanoparticles doped by potassium: Work-function change in experiment and theory

The composition-dependent change in the work-function (WF) of binary silver–potassium nanoparticles has been studied experimentally by synchrotron-based x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and theoretically using a microscopic jellium model metals. Ag–K particles with different K fractions were produced letting beam preformed Ag pass through volume vapor. PES on individual non-supported created this way allowed direct absolute measurement their WF, avoiding several usual shortcomings method. Experimentally, WF found to be very sensitive concentration: Already at low exposure, it decreased down ≈2 eV—below value pure K. In modeling, considered for nanoparticles, two principally adsorption patterns tested: without diffusion. experimental calculation results together suggest that only efficient surface alloying metals, whose immiscibility was long-term textbook knowledge, could lead observed values.