Oriented attachment interfaces of zeolitic imidazolate framework nanocrystals

Understanding the growth and coarsening mechanisms of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles is crucially important for the design and fabrication of MOF materials with diverse functionalities and controllable stability. Oriented attachment (OA) growth is a common manner of MOF nanocrystal coarsening and agglomeration, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been well understood to date. Here we report the molecular-scale characterization of the OA interfaces of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) crystals by state-of-the-art low-dose aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. A series of OA interfaces with different molecular structures are captured, implying that multiple kinetic steps are involved in the OA growth of ZIF crystals from non-directional physical attractions between primary nanocrystals, lattice-aligned attachment of the ligand-capped nanocrystals, to coherent interfaces with perfect lattice alignment or stacking faults. It was found that the surface-capping organic ligands not only play an essential role in crystal lattice alignment by near-field directional interactions, but also dominate the interfacial reaction kinetics by interfacial diffusion-controlled elimination of excess surface-capping ligands. These observations provide molecular-scale insights into the OA growth mechanisms of ZIF crystals, which is important for engineering MOF crystal growth pathways by designing surface-capping ligands.

Two-Dimensional Metal Nanostructures: From Theoretical Understanding to Experiment

This paper reviews recent studies on the preparation of two-dimensional (2D) metal nanostructures, particularly nanosheets. As metal often exists in the high-symmetry crystal phase, such as face centered cubic structures, reducing the symmetry is often needed for the formation of low-dimensional nanostructures. Recent advances in characterization and theory allow for a deeper understanding of the formation of 2D nanostructures. This Review firstly describes the relevant theoretical framework to help the experimentalists understand chemical driving forces for the synthesis of 2D metal nanostructures, followed by examples on the shape control of different metals. Recent applications of 2D metal nanostructures, including catalysis, bioimaging, plasmonics, and sensing, are discussed. We end the Review with a summary and outlook of the challenges and opportunities in the design, synthesis, and application of 2D metal nanostructures.

Colloidal Synthesis of Metal Nanocrystals: From Asymmetrical Growth to Symmetry Breaking

Nanocrystals offer a unique platform for tailoring the physicochemical properties of solid materials to enhance their performances in various applications. While most work on controlling their shapes revolves around symmetrical growth, the introduction of asymmetrical growth and thus symmetry breaking has also emerged as a powerful route to enrich metal nanocrystals with new shapes and complex morphologies as well as unprecedented properties and functionalities. The success of this route critically relies on our ability to lift the confinement on symmetry by the underlying unit cell of the crystal structure and/or the initial seed in a systematic manner. This Review aims to provide an account of recent progress in understanding and controlling asymmetrical growth and symmetry breaking in a colloidal synthesis of noble-metal nanocrystals. With a touch on both the nucleation and growth steps, we discuss a number of methods capable of generating seeds with diverse symmetry while achieving asymmetrical growth for mono-, bi-, and multimetallic systems. We then showcase a variety of symmetry-broken nanocrystals that have been reported, together with insights into their growth mechanisms. We also highlight their properties and applications and conclude with perspectives on future directions in developing this class of nanomaterials. It is hoped that the concepts and existing challenges outlined in this Review will drive further research into understanding and controlling the symmetry breaking process.

Quantifying Strain and Dislocation Density at Nanocube Interfaces after Assembly and Epitaxy

Nanoparticle self-assembly and epitaxy are utilized extensively to make 1D and 2D structures with complex shapes. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has shown that single-crystalline interfaces can form, but little is known about the strain and dislocations at these interfaces. Such information is critically important for applications: drastically reducing dislocation density was the key breakthrough enabling widespread implementation of light-emitting diodes, while strain engineering has been fundamental to modern high-performance transistors, solar cells, and thermoelectrics. In this work, the interfacial defect and strain formation after self-assembly and room temperature epitaxy of 7 nm Pd nanocubes capped with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is examined. It is observed that, during ligand removal, the cubes move over large distances on the substrate, leading to both spontaneous self-assembly and epitaxy to form single crystals. Subsequently, atomically resolved images are used to quantify the strain and dislocation density at the epitaxial interfaces between cubes with different lateral and angular misorientations. It is shown that dislocation- and strain-free interfaces form when the nanocubes align parallel to each other. Angular misalignment between adjacent cubes does not necessarily lead to grain boundaries but does cause dislocations, with higher densities associated with larger rotations.

From Solute, Fluidic and Particulate Precursors to Complex Organizations of Matter

The organization of matter from its constitutive units recruits intermediate states with distinctive degrees of self-association and molecular order. Existing as clusters, droplets, gels as well as amorphous and crystalline nanoparticles, these precursor forms have fundamental contributions towards the composition and structure of inorganic and organic architectures. In this personal account, we show that the transitions from atoms, molecules or ionic species to superstructures of higher order are intertwined with the interfaces and interactions of precursor and intermediate states. Structural organizations distributed across different length scales are explained by the multistep nature of nucleation and crystallization, which can be guided towards functional hybrid materials by the strategic application of additives, templates and reaction environments. Thus, the non-classical pathways for material formation and growth offer conceptual frameworks for elucidating, inducing and directing fascinating material organizations of biogenic and synthetic origins.

In-situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy investigation on oriented attachment of gold nanoparticles

Inside a liquid solution, oriented attachment (OA) is now recognized to be as important a pathway to crystal growth as other, more conventional growth mechanisms. However, the driving force that controls the occurrence of OA is still poorly understood. Here, using in-situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy, we demonstrate the ligand-controlled OA of citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles at atomic resolution. Our data reveal that particle pairs rotate randomly at a separation distance greater than twice the layer thickness of adsorbed ligands. In contrast, when the particles get closer, their ligands overlap and guide the rotation into a directional mode until they share a common {111} orientation, when a sudden contact occurs accompanied by the simultaneous expulsion of the ligands on this surface. First-principle calculations confirm that the lower ligand binding energy on {111} surfaces is the intrinsic reason for the preferential attachment at this facet, rather than on other low-index facets.

The non-classical oriented attachment crystallization pathway explains the growth of many nanocrystals. Here, the authors study citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles by in-situ liquid transmission electron microscopy to reveal that surface ligands are a critical driving force in the oriented attachment process.

Investigating the magnitude and source of orientation-dependent interactions between TiO2 crystal surfaces

The oriented attachment (OA) of nanocrystals is a widely recognized non-classical crystallization mechanism. A fundamental understanding of the forces that governs the dynamics of particle movement, co-alignment, and attachment is needed to control crystal growth by OA. However, much remains unknown about the forces in the long range and molecular detail (such as the interfacial structure) effects in the short range, particularly in liquid suspensions. Using atomic force microscopy-based dynamic force spectroscopy to directly measure the adhesive force between two rutile TiO₂ (001) crystal surfaces as a function of the lattice mismatch angle in water, we show that the forces exhibit 90° periodicity with respect to the lattice mismatch angle, which is generally consistent with the square-lattice arrangement of Ti⁴⁺ centers on the rutile TiO₂ (001) surface. van der Waals and hydrogen bonding are the origin of adhesive forces. Molecular dynamics simulations that incorporate relevant molecular details provide a qualitative explanation for the observed orientation-dependence and suggest that hydrogen bonding is predicted to be the main source of the forces in a short range.

Wavelength-Dependent Plasmon-Mediated Coalescence of Two Gold Nanorods

Plasmon-mediated coalescence of two nearby gold nanorods (NRs) suspended in water induced by the illumination of a linearly polarized (LP) light was studied theoretically. We analyzed the coupled optical forces and torques in terms of Maxwell’s stress tensor upon two identical NRs irradiated by a LP plane wave using the multiple multipole method to estimate the optomechanical outcome. Numerical results show that the light-matter interaction can perform attraction or repulsion, depending on their initial configurations. For the attraction, the end-to-end or side-by-side coalescence of the two gold NRs could be caused by the LP light, depending on the wavelength. For example, the side-by-side coalescence of two adjacent NRs of r = 15 nm and L = 120 nm is most likely induced by 800-nm LP laser beam, whereas the end-to-end coalescence by 1064-nm or 1700-nm LP laser. These distinct phenomena are attributed to the perpendicular or parallel alignment of NR to the polarization of LP light in different wavelength ranges. The magnitude of optical force, proportional to the light’s fluence, could be stronger than van der Waals force. The estimation based on quasi-static model without considering the fluid dynamics may provide an insight to optical manipulation on the self-assembly of gold colloid.

Single-Crystalline Gold Nanowires Synthesized from Light-Driven Oriented Attachment and Plasmon-Mediated Self-Assembly of Gold Nanorods or Nanoparticles

Through the light-driven geometrically oriented attachment (OA) and self-assembly of Au nanorods (NRs) or nanoparticles (NPs), single-crystalline Au nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by the irradiation of a linearly-polarized (LP) laser. The process was conducted in a droplet of Au colloid on a glass irradiated by LP near-infrared (e.g. 1064 nm and 785 nm) laser beam of low power at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, without any additive. The FE-SEM images show that the cross sections of NWs are various: tetragonal, pentagonal or hexagonal. The EDS spectrum verifies the composition is Au, and the pattern of X-ray diffraction identifies the crystallinity of NWs with the facets of {111}, {200}, {220} and {311}. We proposed a hypothesis for the mechanism that the primary building units are aligned and coalesced by the plasmon-mediated optical torque and force to form the secondary building units. Subsequently, the secondary building units undergo the next self-assembly, and so forth the tertiary ones. The LP light guides the translational and rotational motions of these building units to perform geometrically OA in the side-by-side, end-to-end and T-shaped manners. Consequently, micron-sized ordered mesocrystals are produced. Additionally, the concomitant plasmonic heating causes the annealing for recrystallizing the mesocrystals in water.

Amino acid-assisted controlling the shapes of rutile, brookite for enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction

Rutile and brookite titania with tunable shape have been synthesized. The investigation results show that the photcatalytic CO₂ reduction activity of rutile increases with increasing percentage of {111} surface and brookite with exposed {210} facets exhibit a notable photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ to methanol.

The origin of facet selectivity and alignment in anatase TiO2 nanoparticles in electrolyte solutions: implications for oriented attachment in metal oxides

Oriented attachment (OA) is an important nonclassical pathway for crystal growth from solution, occurring by the self-assembly of nanoparticles and often leading to highly organized three-dimensional crystal morphologies. The forces that drive nanocrystal reorientation for face-selective attachment and exclude improperly aligned particles have remained unknown. Here we report evidence at the microscopic level that ion correlation forces arising from dynamically interacting electrical double layers are responsible for face-selective attraction and particle rotation into lattice co-alignment as particles interact at long range. Atomic-to-mesoscale simulations developed and performed for the archetype OA system of anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles in aqueous HCl solutions show that face-selective attraction from ion correlation forces outcompetes electrostatic repulsion at several nanometers apart, drawing particle face pairs into a metastable solvent-separated captured state. The analysis of the facet and pH dependence of interparticle interactions is in quantitative agreement with the observed decreasing frequency of attachment between the (112), (001), and (101) face pairs, revealing an adhesion barrier that is largely due to steric hydration forces from structured intervening solvents. This finding helps open new avenues for controlling crystal growth pathways leading to highly ordered three-dimensional nanomaterials.

Can oriented-attachment be an efficient growth mechanism for the synthesis of 1D nanocrystals via atomic layer deposition?

One-dimensional (1D) nanocrystals, such as nanorods and nanowires, have received extensive attention in the nanomaterials field due to their large surface areas and 1D confined transport properties. Oriented attachment (OA) is now recognized as a major growth mechanism for efficiently synthesizing 1D nanocrystals. Recently, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been modified to be a powerful vapor-phase technique with which to synthesize 1D OA nanorods/nanowires with high efficiency and quality by increasing the temperature and purging time. In this invited mini-review, we look into the advantages of OA and high-temperature ALD, and investigate the potential of employing the OA growth mechanism for the synthesis of 1D nanocrystals via modified ALD, aiming to provide guidance to researchers in the fields of both OA and ALD for efficient synthesis of 1D nanocrystals.