Carbon coated face-centered cubic Ru-C nanoalloys.

Carbon-encapsulated ruthenium-carbon (Ru-C) nanoalloys were synthesized by dynamic shocks. The Ru-C alloy shows a new fcc structure different from the original hcp structure of metal Ru. This fcc phase is assigned to a Ru32C4 solid solution with a lattice parameter of 3.868(2) Å and a bulk modulus KT0 of 272(12) GPa. The small amount of carbon in the solid solution enhances the thermodynamic and chemical stabilities with respect to pure Ru, as well as induces changes in the electronic properties, which have direct applications in improving the material's catalytic activity and selectivity.