An attempt to synthesize Sn-Zn-Cu alloy nanoparticles

Investigations on the synthesis of bi- or tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles have been relatively limited. Thus, we present here results of experiments to synthesize Sn-30Zn-10Cu (wt%) nanopowder alloys by chemical reduction. Characterization by electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction showed that nanoparticles with an average diameter of 20 nm were obtained. Microstructure and phase evolution of the as-synthesized particles upon heating were investigated and compared with the corresponding bulk alloy. The results showed that the nanoparticles contain all three constituents (i.e. Sn, Zn and Cu), possess a core-shell morphology and exhibit a phase configuration different from the bulk alloy.