Investigating exsolution of metal nanoparticles is an area of evolving interest. Metal nanoparticles have been found to exsolve from metal oxides under reducing conditions in the perovskite family and investigated as fuel cell anodes. Our work on Lanthanum Nickel Ruthenates double perovskites has successfully exsolved Ru-contained nanoparticles with a certain amount of a-site deficiency present in the parent phase. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) has been used to characterize the morphology of exsolved nanoparticles. The particles sizes of the exsolved particles are smaller than 20 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDX) have confirmed the impedance spectra indicate the instant exsolution and significant decreasing of electrode resistance during the exsolution process

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Project Funding: "Understanding the critical role of interfaces and surfaces in energy materials" EPSRC Platform Grant EP/R002010/1