Melting of faceted Pb nanoparticles at reduced latent heat

Faceted Pb nanoparticles embedded in polycrystalline Al melt at temperatures that are significantly higher than the melting temperature of bulk Pb. The size distribution of Pb inclusions was utilized to deconvolute the contributions of different size classes with respect to their melting point. Detailed calorimetric analyses showed that although faceted Pb particles melt at elevated temperatures, their melting enthalpy is reduced compared to bulk material. It is proposed that layering at the matrix–particle interface accounts for the reduction in the latent heat.