2606004379
  • Open Access
  • Commentary

Capturing the Transient Phases of Nanocrystal Superlattice via Shape-Controlled Synthesis

  • Jianlong He

Received: 08 Jun 2026 | Revised: 20 Jun 2026 | Accepted: 23 Jun 2026 | Published: 25 Jun 2026

Abstract

Nanocrystal superlattices are ordered arrays of colloidal nanocrystals, often viewed as artificial solids in which nanocrystals replace atoms as the structural units. This article highlights a recent study in which the shape of silver nanocrystals was finely tuned to direct their assembly into superlattices from face-centered cubic to body-centered cubic structures, while accessing the transient intermediate structures along the Nishiyama-Wassermann martensitic pathway. By tuning nanocrystal sphericity and revealing the role of soft ligand-mediated interactions through computational simulation, this work shows how the shape of nanocrystal can be tailored to stabilize an intermediate superlattice phase and modulate its optical response.

Graphical Abstract

References 

  • 1.

    Whitesides, G.M.; Grzybowski, B. Self-Assembly at All Scales. Science 2002, 295, 2418–2421.

  • 2.

    Boles, M.A.; Engel, M.; Talapin, D.V. Self-Assembly of Colloidal Nanocrystals: From Intricate Structures to Functional Materials. Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 11220–11289.

  • 3.

    Nagaoka, Y.; Zhu, H.; Eggert, D.; Chen, O. Single-Component Quasicrystalline Nanocrystal Superlattices through Flexible Polygon Tiling Rule. Science 2018, 362, 1396–1400.

  • 4.

    Xia, Y.; Xiong, Y.; Lim, B.; Skrabalak, S.E. Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Metal Nanocrystals: Simple Chemistry Meets Complex Physics? Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 60–103.

  • 5.

    Chen, Y.; Yan, E.; Xia, Y. Noble-Metal Nanocrystals: From Synthesis to Biomedical Applications. Mater. Interfaces 2025, 2, 57–65.

  • 6.

    Xia, Y.; Xia, X.; Peng, H.-C. Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Colloidal Metal Nanocrystals: Thermodynamic versus Kinetic Products. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 7947–7966.

  • 7.

    Bhattacharya, K.; Conti, S.; Zanzotto, G.; Zimmer, J. Crystal Symmetry and the Reversibility of Martensitic Transformations. Nature 2004, 428, 55–59.

  • 8.

    Nagaoka, Y.; Moore, T.C.; Epishin, A.; Liu, Z.; Cai, T.; Jin, N.; Hong, K.S.; Saghy, P.; Wang, A.; Liu, Y.; et al. Stabilizing In-Transition Phases of Superlattices through Shape Control of Silver Nanocrystals. Science 2026, 392, 951–957.

  • 9.

    Weidman, M.C.; Smilgies, D.-M.; Tisdale, W.A. Kinetics of the Self-Assembly of Nanocrystal Superlattices Measured by Real-Time in Situ X-Ray Scattering. Nat. Mater. 2016, 15, 775–781.

  • 10.

    Kravets, V.G.; Kabashin, A.V.; Barnes, W.L.; Grigorenko, A.N. Plasmonic Surface Lattice Resonances: A Review of Properties and Applications. Chem. Rev. 2018, 118, 5912–5951.

  • 11.

    Mueller, N.S.; Okamura, Y.; Vieira, B.G.M.; Juergensen, S.; Lange, H.; Barros, E.B.; Schulz, F.; Reich, S. Deep Strong Light–Matter Coupling in Plasmonic Nanoparticle Crystals. Nature 2020, 583, 780–784.

Share this article:
How to Cite
He, J. Capturing the Transient Phases of Nanocrystal Superlattice via Shape-Controlled Synthesis. Materials and Interfaces 2026, 3 (2), 210–212. https://doi.org/10.53941/mi.2026.100014.
RIS
BibTex
Copyright & License
article copyright Image
Copyright (c) 2026 by the authors.