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joshbyard:

Nanoparticles Observed Self-Assembling Into Nanorods

Led by Haimei Zheng, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division, the researchers used a combination of transmission electron microscopy and advanced liquid cell handling techniques to carry out real-time observations of the growth of nanorods from nanoparticles of platinum and iron.

Their observations support the theory of nanoparticles acting like artificial atoms during crystal growth. “We observed that as nanoparticles become attached they initially form winding polycrystalline chains,” Zheng says. “These chains eventually align and attach end-to-end to form nanowires that straighten and stretch into single crystal nanorods with length-to-thickness ratios up to 40:1.

This nanocrystal growth process, whereby nanoparticle chains as well as nanoparticles serve as the fundamental building blocks for nanorods, is both smart and efficient.”

If the near limitless potential of nanotechnology is to even be approached, scientists will need a much better understanding of how nano-sized particles can assemble into hierarchical structures of ever-increasing organization and complexity. Such understanding comes from tracking nanoparticle growth trajectories and determining the forces that guide these trajectories.

(via Nanoparticles self-assemble into nanorods | KurzweilAI)