Abstract:
The lattice parameters of a metallic nanoparticle decrease with its size. To describe this phenomenon, a model based on elasticity is
developed in this paper. Using this model, we investigate the lattice contraction of a metallic nanoparticle due to its surface tension. The
effect of size-dependent surface tension on the lattice contraction is discussed. Furthermore, the lattice contraction of a nanoparticle of
non-spherical shape is also approximately estimated by defining a shape factor. The analysis shows that the lattice parameters of metallic
nanoparticle are size dependent. However, if the radius of nanoparticle is more than 5.0 nm, the effect of size on lattice contraction is
almost negligible.
