Nanoparticle stability against coarsening is one of the keys to allow better exploitation of the properties of nanoscale materials. The intrinsically high interfacial energies of nanoparticles constitute the driving force for coarsening, and therefore can serve as targets to design materials with improved thermal stability. In this study, we discuss the surface engineering of TiO2 nanocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis by exploiting the spontaneous segregation of Ba2+ ions to the interfaces of TiO2 nanocrystals. Ba2+ is a strong candidate for photoelectrocatalytic reduction of CO2 and its effects on interfacial energies lead to a remarkable increase in thermal stability. By using a systematic lixiviation method, we quantified the Ba2+ content located at both the surface and at grain boundary interfaces and combined with direct calorimetric measurements of surface energies and microstructural studies to demonstrate that Ba2+ excess quantities directly impact coarsening of TiO2 nanocatalysts by creating meta-equilibrium configurations defined by the Ba2+ content and segregation potentials at each individual interface. The results establish the fundamental framework for the design of ultrastable nanocatalysts.

The primary characteristic of nanopowders is the high surface area and consequently high fraction of atoms on the interfaces, which changes the energy of the system. The additive distribution in the nanopowder interfaces is a fundamental aspect to control the energy, particle size, and final properties of nanopowders. In this work, the surface excess was determined using a selective lixiviation method, where a low‐water‐soluble oxide, SnO2, was used as the matrix, and a high‐water‐soluble oxide, ZnO, was used as the additive. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed that ZnO segregated on SnO2 surfaces. However, after acid lixiviation the same analysis showed an undetectable surface concentration of ZnO. The evaluation of the nanostructure change and surface composition enables us to calculate the heat of segregation for the grain boundary (ΔHsegnormalgb=−47.2kJ·mol−1) and surface (ΔHsegnormals=−36.4kJ·mol−1) and the interface energy reduction because of segregation. At low‐ZnO concentrations, the additive solubilizes in the bulk and promotes particle growth. However, the segregation to the grain boundary and surface determines the relative stability of each interface, which promotes hard agglomeration and particle size stabilization at intermediated ZnO amounts. At high‐ZnO concentrations, the surface segregation stabilizes the solid‐gas interface and decreases the agglomeration and final particle size.

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Manufacturing nanoceramics is challenging owing to the instability of the grain size resulting from the high driving force toward growth associated with the interfaces. Nanometric ceramics of some oxides have exceptional mechanical and optical properties, eg, magnesium aluminate spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ). The production of these fully conformed ceramics requires a precursor powder, which generally contains sintering-promoting additives. Li salts are typically used as sintering promoters for MgAl 2 O 4 , but the interface stability associated with the segregation of the additive is poorly understood. In this study, MgAl 2 O 4 samples containing 0-2.86 mol% Li ions were synthesized via a simultaneous-precipitation method in an ethylic medium and subsequently calcined at 800°C in air. The nanopowders exhibited only the MgAl 2 O 4 phase, and the crystallite size was determined by the Li 2 O concentration. The crystallite size was changed via the chemical modification of the interfaces by the segregation of Li ions. The solubility in the bulk material was very low at the fabrication temperature, and small amounts of Li ions saturated the bulk material and segregated to the grain boundaries (GBs), significantly stabilizing the grain-grain interface compared with the surface. The resulting powder was then aggregated further owing to the initial stage of sintering. The surface excess obtained via the selective lixiviation method confirmed that the segregation to the GBs was greater than that to the surface. Energetics calculations confirmed these results, indicating a high enthalpy of segregation at the GBs (ΔH segr GB = −52.0 kJ∕mol) compared with that at the surfaces (ΔH segr s = −31.5 kJ/mol). The enthalpy of segregation together with theinterface excess allowed us to estimate the reduction in the interface energy with Li + segregation of 0.8% to the surface and 11.2% to the GBs. The Li + segregation to the surfaces started by Al 3+ substitution, and for powders with ≥1.8 mol% Li ions, Mg +2 was preferentially substituted at the surfaces.