Low-temperature nanocrystal unification through rotations and relaxations probed by in situ transmission electron microscopy.
Through the mechanism of "oriented attachment", small nanocrystals can fuse into a wide variety of one- and two-dimensional nanostructures. This fusion phenomenon is investigated in detail by low-temperature annealing of a two-dimensional array of 10 nm-sized PbSe nanocrystals, in situ in the transmission electron microscope. We have revealed a complex chain of processes; after coalescence, the connected nanocrystals undergo consecutive rotations in three-dimensional space, followed by drastic interfacial relaxations whereby full fusion is obtained.
van Huis
Marijn A
MA
Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Lorentzweg 1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands. m.a.vanhuis@tudelft.nl
Kunneman
Lucas T
LT
Overgaag
Karin
K
Xu
Qiang
Q
Pandraud
Gregory
G
Zandbergen
Henny W
HW
Vanmaekelbergh
Daniël
D
D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D045663:Quantum Dots; D013696:Temperature