Effect of the interface energy on the pressure-induced superheating of metallic nanoparticles embedded in a matrix

The pressure-induced superheating of metallic nanoparticles embedded in a coherent or incoherent matrix was evaluated by considering the interface energy effect. As the size decreases, the superheating is weakened from the bulk value to zero for these two systems. Associated to the competing roles of different thermodynamic quantities, the weakening in the coherent system originates from the predominant lattice contraction and melting enthalpy reinforcement because of the negative interface energy, but that in the incoherent system results from the bulk modulus decline due to the positive interface energy. Our theoretical predictions are in agreement with available literature results.