Behavior of size selected iron-platinum clusters soft landed on carbon nanotubes

Nano-hybrid systems have been prepared by UHV deposition of size selected iron-platinum clusters on multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Analyses of the resulting morphologies put into evidence the ability of “large” bare clusters (typically few nanometers in diameter) to diffuse on the nanotube surface. A comparison between cluster behaviors on different carbon based surfaces reveals a low cluster-carbon nanotube interaction and a possible effect of the surface curvature on the cluster diffusion process. Moreover, the high selectivity to defects and the specific cluster-cluster interaction leading to a local organization of the FePt clusters on nanotubes open perspectives for various applications.