Strong metal-support bonding enhanced thermal stability in Au-Al 2 O 3 core-shell nanowires characterized by in situ transmission electron microscopy.

In this study, the thermal stability of Au-Al 2 O 3 core-shell and Au nanowires was investigated by in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy and other techniques. The nanowires were synthesized by the helium droplets method and deposited on various substrates. The in situ characterization of Au-Al 2 O 3 thermal stability demonstrated a substantially enhanced stability as compared to that of pure Au nanowires, which can be a transformative approach to design more durable Au-based nanocatalysts. Our study also revealed the existence of strong metal-support bonding in the Au/Al 2 O 3 system.