= Bimetallic nanocrystal
A <bimetallic nanocrystal> is a crystalline particle containing two metallic <chemical elements>, with important dimensions on the <nanoscale>. Its atoms may form an <alloy>, chemically ordered regions, a core surrounded by a shell or spatially separated domains. Composition alone does not determine which arrangement is present.
For example, a <gold>–<silver> particle can expose a surface composition different from its bulk average. That affects <surface chemistry> and interaction with <light>. Establishing its structure requires complementary evidence: <electron microscopy> can reveal morphology, elemental mapping can locate the elements, and <diffraction> can constrain the <crystal structure>. These measurements answer different questions rather than providing interchangeable particle descriptions.
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