The surface morphology and shape of crystalline nanowires significantly affect their functional properties, including phonon transport and electrocatalytic performance. However, due to the challenges of real-space and real-time imaging at the single-particle and atomic resolution levels, the dynamic pathways driving these morphological changes have not been fully explored. This study investigates the kinetics of shell (Au, Pd, Pt, Fe, Cu, Ni) deposition on AuAg alloy seed nanowires during core-shell formation.By using chiral/non-chiral seed nanowires and advanced imaging techniques, including liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (LPTEM), cryo-TEM, and three-dimensional electron tomography, a three-step deposition process was revealed: heterogeneous nucleation, nanoparticle attachment, and coalescence.Studies have found that colloidal Ostwald ripening, metal reactivity, and deposition amount regulate nanoparticle size and surface roughness, thereby shaping the final morphology. Precious metal nanoparticles (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt) coalesce with seed nanowires along the ⟨111⟩ direction, which is different from other metals. These findings are consistent across various metals, including Ru, Cu, Fe, and Ni, highlighting the proposed roles of these processes in nanowire formation.These findings reinforce traditional crystallography theories and provide a framework for designing nanowire morphologies. Additionally, our imaging technology can be used to study phenomena such as electrodeposition, dendrite growth in batteries, and membrane deformation.

Original link

Observation of nanoparticle coalescence during core-shell metallic nanowire growth in colloids via nanoscale imaging

Pub Date : 2025-05-23

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60135-3

Dahai Yang, Xingyu Zhang, Ruijie Yang, Bolin Zou, Rui Huang, Colin Ophus, Chengyu Song, Sheng Cheng, Juyeong Kim, Hui Xiong, Xianqi Wu, Mufan Li, Yong Wang, Hongfa Xiang, Zihao Ou, Xiaohui Song