English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The interactions between nanoparticles and solvents play a critical role inthe formation of complex, metastable nanostructures. However, directobservation of such interactions with high spatial and temporal resolution ischallenging with conventional liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy(TEM) experiments. Here, a windowless system consisting of polymer nanoreactorsdeposited via scanning probe block copolymer lithography (SPBCL) on anamorphous carbon film is used to investigate the coarsening of ultrafine (1-3nm) Au-Pt bimetallic nanoparticles as a function of solvent evaporation. Insuch reactors, homogeneous Au-Pt nanoparticles are synthesized from metal ionprecursors in situ under electron irradiation. The non-uniform evaporation ofthe thin polymer film not only concentrates the nanoparticles, but alsoaccelerates the coalescence kinetics at the receding polymer edges. Qualitativeanalysis of the particle forces influencing coalescence suggests that capillarydragging by the polymer edges plays a significant role in accelerating thisprocess. Taken together, this work: 1) provides fundamental insight into therole of solvents in the chemistry and coarsening behavior of nanoparticlesduring the synthesis of polyelemental nanostructures, 2) provides insight intohow particles form via the SPBCL process, and 3) shows how SPBCL-generateddomes, instead of liquid cells, can be used to study nanoparticle formation.More generally, it shows why conventional models of particle coarsening, whichdo not take into account solvent evaporation, cannot be used to describe whatis occurring in thin film, liquid-based syntheses of nanostructures.

Windowless Observation of Evaporation-Induced Coarsening of Au-Pt Nanoparticles in Polymer Nanoreactors