In this study, CoPd bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using an organometallic approach. Detailed structural analyses, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and wide-angle X-ray scattering, showed an icosahedral Pd-rich core surrounded by a less crystalline Co-rich shell. Due to their strong magnetic anisotropy, these 10 nm particles are ferromagnetic at room temperature and can act as efficient heating agents when exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF). The NPs were successfully tested as catalysts in hydrodeoxygenation reactions using induction heating for energy-efficient activation.

This study was published in the journal Chemistry of Materials from the American Chemical Society in February of 2025 and was selected to feature the issue’s front cover, which consisted of an artwork depicting CoPd icosahedral NPs under an AMF carrying out hydrodeoxygenation of acetophenone. The totality of the work was developed at LPCNO with Felipe Quiroga-Suavita as first author and jointly supervised by Bruno Chaudret and Lise-Marie Lacroix, from the Nanostructures et Chimie Organométallique (NCO) group.