Abstract
Manipulation of nanoparticle (NP) growth kinetics enables the creation of engineered NPs with controlled size, morphology, and composition for applications ranging from catalysis to drug delivery. Previous studies have largely focused on the dynamic evolution of solid particles, often overlooking how liquid environments influence NP nucleation, growth, and evolution. Here we elucidate a nanoreactor mechanism whereby nanodroplets can be deliberately manipulated to tailor NP growth kinetics using controlled electron beams during liquid-phase electron microscopy. By judiciously varying the beam conditions, nanodroplets can be reshaped in a controlled manner and serve as deformable liquid reactors. This enables investigation of how nanodroplet morphology affects the nucleation and growth of enclosed NPs. Using copper NP growth as a model system, we identify two distinct growth modes and uncover location-dependent kinetic differences within individual nanodroplets. This study provides new insights into NP growth kinetics and offers an innovative method for tailored synthesis of NPs.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the discussion about the manuscript draft and data analysis with Dr. Mengmeng Wang. The authors also acknowledge the financial support from the Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation for the Major Research Instrumentation grant (DMR-2117896), as well as the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 at Argonne National Laboratory. The Analytical Picoprobe Electron Optical Beam Line / Microscope used in this work (ThermoFisher Scientific Spectra Ultra X/Illiad prototype) was developed as part of a CRADA #01300710 between Argonne National Laboratory and ThermoFisher Scientific Instruments. Work performed at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, was supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.
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Zhang, X., Hou, H., Gao, Z. et al. Engineering Morphology of Liquid Droplet Nanoreactors and Growth Kinetics of Nanoparticles Using Liquid-Phase Electron Microscopy. Commun Mater (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-026-01188-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-026-01188-9
