Comparisons of Analytical Approaches for Determining Shell Thicknesses of Core-Shell Nanoparticles by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: We assessed two approaches for determining shell thicknesses of core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These assessments were based on simulations of photoelectron peak intensities for Au-core/C-shell, C-core/Au-shell, Cu-core/Al-shell, and Al-core/Cu-shell NPs with a wide range of core diameters and shell thicknesses. First, we demonstrated the validity of an empirical equation developed by Shard for determinations of shell thicknesses. Values of shell thicknesses from the Shard equation typically agreed with actual shell thicknesses to better than 10 %. Second, we investigated the magnitudes of elastic-scattering effects on photoelectron peak intensities by performing a similar series of simulations with elastic scattering switched off in our simulation

SUBMITTER: Powell CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5990282 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature