title: Investigating processes of nanocrystal formation and transformation via liquid cell TEM.
abstract: Recent ex situ observations of crystallization in both natural and synthetic systems indicate that the classical models of nucleation and growth are inaccurate. However, in situ observations that can provide direct evidence for alternative models have been lacking due to the limited temporal and spatial resolution of experimental techniques that can observe dynamic processes in a bulk solution. Here we report results from liquid cell transmission electron microscopy studies of nucleation and growth of Au, CaCO3, and iron oxide nanoparticles. We show how these in situ data can be used to obtain direct evidence for the mechanisms underlying nanoparticle crystallization as well as dynamic information that provide constraints on important energetic parameters not available through ex situ methods.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: 2 Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Hengzhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 4 Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aloni
authors.affiliation: 5 Physical Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA.
authors.forename: T Yong-Jin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frandsen
authors.affiliation: 7 Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Jong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seto
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Jillian F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Banfield
authors.affiliation: 7 Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cölfen
authors.affiliation: 2 Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: De Yoreo