Solubility
Within the size–pressure approximation, which considers the stress induced by the surface tension and the curvature of the particle, it was shown that the size of the particle affects the composition and temperature of a eutectic point (Fe-C) the solubility of C in Fe and Fe:Mo nanoclusters. Reduced solubility can affect the catalytic properties of nanoparticles. In fact it has been shown that size-induced instability of Fe-C mixtures represents the thermodynamic limit for the thinnest nanotube that can be grown from Fe nanocatalysts.
Read more about this topic: Melting-point Depression