| Swansea University researchers have discovered what liquid gold looks like on the nanoscale – and in doing so have mapped the way in which nanoparticles melt, which is relevant to the manufacturing and performance of nanotechnology devices such as bio-sensors, nanochips , gas sensors, and catalysts. | |
| The research published in Nature Communications (“Atomic-resolution imaging of surface and core melting in individual size-selected Au nanoclusters on carbon”) set out to answer a simple question – how do nanoparticles melt? Although this question has been a focus of researchers for the past century, it still is an open problem – initial theoretical models describing melting date from around 100 years, and even the most relevant models being some 50 years old. |
Professor Richard Palmer, who led the team based at the University’s College of Engineering said of the research: “Although melting behavior was known to change on the nanoscale, the way in which nanoparticles melt was an open question. Given that the theoretical models are now rather old, there was a clear case for us to carry out our new imaging experiments to see if we could test and improve these theoretical models.”
Image Credit: Swansea University
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