ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
Nanometer-sized droplets of liquid crystallize differently than their larger counterparts, according to a new study that challenges conventional theories of phase transformations and may lead to new techniques for manipulating microscopic droplets (Nat. Mater., DOI: 10.1038/nmat1894). Using high-temperature transmission electron microscopy methods, Brookhaven National Laboratory scientists Eli A. Sutter and Peter W. Sutter show that a gold-alloy-tipped germanium nanowire that is encapsulated in a carbon film can function as a pipette and dispense zeptoliter (10-21 L) metal droplets (13-zL droplet shown). Heating the nanowire and quickly boring a tiny hole into the film with an electron beam causes spherical droplets of Au72Ge28 alloy to be delivered from the tip. A key finding of the study is that the nanodroplets crystallize by way of a surface-faceting process and not via the classic mechanism based on internal nucleation.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter