Synthesis of core-shell and Janus-like nanoparticles by non-synchronous electrical explosion of two intertwined wires from immiscible metals

Bimetallic nanoparticles with core-shell structure and Janus nanoparticles attract much attention because of their unique properties. In this article we demonstrate the capabilities of an efficient method of synthesizing a wide range of bimetallic nanoparticles by the electrical explosion of two wires made of immiscible metals. To synthesize bimetallic nanoparticles, we have chosen model metals whose liquid phase undergoes lamination only within a limited temperature and concentration interval (CuNb and PbCu) and metals whose components laminate in the liquid state over a wide interval of temperatures and concentrations (AgNi and AgFe). It has been shown that the structure type of the resulting bimetallic nanoparticles (homogeneous distribution of the components, core-shell nanoparticles or Janus nanoparticles) depends on the surface energy and the crystalline structure of the metals.