Size and composition dependence of melting temperature of binary nanoparticles

Based on the ideal solution approximation, the model for size-dependent melting temperature of pure metal nanoparticles is extended to binary alloy systems. The developed model, free of any adjustable parameter, demonstrates that the melting temperature is related to the size and composition of alloy nanoparticles. The melting temperature of CuNi, PbBi and Snln binary alloy nanocrystals is found to be consistent with the experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The research reveals that alloy nanocrystals have similar melting nature as pure metal.