Pentagonal Cobalt Boride Nanoparticles on the Polystyrene Granule Surface

Abstract

The morphology and structure of cobalt-containing nanoparticles Co₂B on the surface of polystyrene microgranules have been investigated by a set of structural methods, including X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It has been established that the nanoparticles are 30–100 nm in size and have a spherical or pentagonal shape. It is shown that the nanoparticles have a cluster structure with an individual cluster size of several nanometers. The growth of pentagonal Co₂B nanoparticles on the microgranule surface may be due to the processes similar to those occurring in wildlife during the formation of organisms and plants of pentagonal shape.