Embedded-atom method applied to bimetallic clusters: The Cu-Ni and Cu-Pd systems

Abstract

A study of ordering and segregation in bimetallic clusters has been carried out using the embedded-atom method. Icosahedral and cuboctahedral clusters with up to 147 atoms have been considered. The model has been applied to the Cu-Ni and Cu-Pd systems and we have found that the icosahedral structure is favored over the cuboctahedral one. Cu segregates to the surface in the Cu-Ni clusters, and a subtle interplay between ordering and segregation is observed in the Cu-Pd clusters.