Scientific Achievement
Revealed the ripening of core-shell nanostructure mediated by crack defects using atomic resolution liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM).
Significance and Impact
Demonstrated the nonequilibrium processes of nanoscale materials transformations and provided insights into the functional design of nanomaterials by controlling surface (crack) defects.
Research Details
- These atomic resolution observations reveal that defects in the shell direct the growth/dissolution of the core.
- Simulating the crack defects mediated ripening pathways of core-shell nanoparticles with a simple lattice model suggests that the observation is general and likely to occur in other core-shell nanostructures.
