Biosynthesis and characterization of Ti/Ni bimetallic nanoparticles

Small particles of Ti/Ni have been synthesized by a bioreduction method. The controlling parameter was the pH of the solution where they were grown in. HREM and high-angle annular dark field in the electron microscope have been used to characterize the morphology and structural properties of such small particles. Well controlled sizes in the range of 1–4 nanometers and with a structure based on an fcc-like geometry for the smallest clusters and with more complex arrays for larger clusters were obtained. In general it was demonstrated that the bimetal nanoparticles appear in a set of structures including the core-shell type, with Ni as the shell.