Transition volumes from multiply twinned particles to single crystals of supported Ag and Au nanoparticles

Shape changes of Ag and Au nanoparticles supported on single crystal reconstructed SrTiO3(001) (111) substrates were investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy. Both metals nucleate as multiply twinned particles (MTPs) transform into face-centered-cubic crystals (SCs) beyond a critical volume. On SrTiO3(001)-c(4 × 2) the volumes are measured 141 ± 51 nm3 for 107 23 Au, whereas SrTiO3(111)–(4 4)+(6 6) 53 26 40 Au. A much larger transition volume was observed SrTiO3(001)–(2 1), where remains MTPs up to 3400 nm3, while nucleates atomic monolayers instead MTPs. This work demonstrates significant impact small variations surface structure substrate MTP–SC