Real-time visualization of nanoparticles self-assembling into crystals.

Researchers have used liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy to watch nanoparticles self-assemble into solid materials for the first time. The study provides unprecedented insights into the self-assembly process and could be used to design new materials, including thin films for electronic applications. The researchers used differently shaped nanoparticles to explore how shape affects behavior and found that particles collided into each other, sticking together to form layers, before forming a horizontal layer and then stacking vertically to form a crystalline structure.