Solid state pathways to complex shape evolution and tunable porosity during metallic crystal growth

Growing complex metallic crystals, supported high index facet nanocrystal composites and tunable porosity metals, and exploiting factors that influence shape and morphology is crucial in many exciting developments in chemistry, catalysis, biotechnology and nanoscience. Assembly, organization and ordered crystallization of nanostructures into complex shapes requires understanding of the building blocks and their association, and this relationship can define the many physical properties of crystals and their assemblies. Understanding crystal evolution pathways is required for controlled deposition onto surfaces. Here, complex metallic crystals on the nano- and microscale, carbon supported nanoparticles, and spinodal porous noble metals with defined inter-feature distances in 3D, are accomplished in the solid-state for Au, Ag, Pd, and Re. Bottom-up growth and positioning is possible through competitive coarsening of mobile nanoparticles and their site-specific crystallization in a nucleation-dewetted matrix. Shape evolution, density and growth mechanism of complex metallic crystals and porous metals can be imaged during growth