Structure and Energy Stability of Metal Nanoparticles

In this work we present a theoretical model for the structural evolution and energy stability for metal nanoparticles from the small (1-2 nm) to the big ($\sim $50 nm) size ranges. We have found that the appearances of structural lattice defects as well as surface reconstructions are important factors that highly influence the growth process. A simple assembly model for a path transformation for metal nanoparticles is presented and compare with experimental evidence.