One of the cool things about nanoparticles is also what makes them so difficult to work with: the fact that their properties are dependent on their size.
A critical challenge in translating nanomaterials from the laboratory into commercial applications, such as lighting or optical memory storage, is making a batch of nanoparticles all the same size. Two Cornell research groups have joined forces to lay out a solution for this issue.
Researchers in the labs of Richard Robinson and Tobias Hanrath – using X-ray analysis at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) – have developed a new nanosynthetic pathway to achieve ultra-pure and highly stable groups of same-sized particles – known as “magic-sized clusters.”
Their paper, “Mesophase Formation Stabilizes High-Purity Magic-Sized Clusters,” published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and will be on a cover of the March 14 print edition. Lead authors are Curtis Williamson, doctoral student in both the Robinson and Hanrath groups, and Douglas Nevers, doctoral student in the Hanrath Group. Lena Kourkoutis, assistant professor of applied and engineering physics, also contributed.
>Read more on the Cornell Hight Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) website
Image: Schematic of the magic-sized clusters hexagonal mesophase. The mesophase (left) is an assembly of nanofibers (center), which are composed of magic-sized clusters (right).
Credit: Richard Robinson