Stable binary nanocrystalline alloys and methods of identifying same

An alloy comprising:

• a pair of elements in which one element of the pair is a solvent element and a second element of the pair is a solute element, the pair of elements being Al and Pb, Co and Au, Co and Bi, Co and Cd, Co and Pb, Cr and Au, Cr and Bi, Cr and Cd, Cr and La, Cr and Na, Cr and Pb, Cr and Sc, Cr and Sn, Cr and Th, Cr and Y, Cu and Y, Fe and Au, Fe and Ba, Fe and Bi, Fe and Ca, Fe and Cd, Fe and In, Fe and La, Fe and Mg, Fe and Pb, Hf and Mg, Hf and Ti, Jr and Cu, Jr and Ni, Jr and Rh, La and Li, La and Mn, Mn and Ba, Mn and Ca, Mn and Cd, Mn and Mg, Mn and Pb, Mn and Sr, Mn and Tl, Mo and Au, Mo and Ba, Mo and Cr, Mo and Cd, Mo and In, Mo and Na, Mo and Pb, Mo and Sc, Mo and Th, Mo and V, Mo and Y, Nb and Bi, Nb and Cu, Nb and Ti, Nb and Tl, Nb and V, Ni and Pb, Ni and Sn, Ni and Tl, Os and Bi, Os and Co, Os and Ni, Os and Pb, Os and Pt, Os and Rh, Os and Ru, Pd and Au, Pt and Au, Re and Bi, Re and Co, Re and La, Re and Ni, Re and Pd, Re and Rh, Re and Sb, Re and Sn, Re and Tc, Rh and Ag, Rh and Au, Rh and Co, Rh and Cu, Rh and Ni, Ru and Au, Ru and Bi, Ru and Co, Ru and Hg, Ru and Ni, Ru and Pt, Ru and Sb, Ta and Bi, Ta and Cu, Ta and Hf, Ta and In, Ta and Ti, Ta and Tl, Ta and Zr, Tc and Ni, Tc and Pd, Tc and Rh, Th and La, Th and Sc, Th and Y, V and Bi, V and Cd, V and In, V and Sc, V and Ti, V and Tl, W and Au, W and Cr, W and In, W and La, W and Mn, W and Pb, W and Sb, W and Sc, W and Sn, W and Sr, W and Th, W and Ti, W and V, W and Y, W and Zn, Y and Sr, Zn and Pb, Zr and Mg, or Zr and Sc;
• wherein:
• the solute element and the solvent element are the two most abundant elements in the alloy by atomic percentage;
• the alloy has a plurality of grains, the plurality having an average largest dimension of less than or equal to 1,000 nm;
• and
• atoms of either the solute element or the solvent element are segregated to grain boundaries of the alloy.