An unconventional role of ligand in continuously tuning of metal-metal interfacial strain.

We show that embedding of a surface ligand can dramatically affect the metal-metal interfacial energy, making it possible to create nanostructures in defiance of traditional wisdom. Despite matching Au-Ag lattices, Au-Ag hybrid NPs can be continuously tuned from concentric core-shell, eccentric core-shell, acorn, to dimer structures. This method can be extended to tune even Au-Au and Ag-Ag interfaces.