Shedding Light on the Role of Misfit Strain in Controlling Core–Shell Nanocrystals

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Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Article number2004142
Journal / PublicationAdvanced Materials
Volume32
Issue number46
Online published13 Oct 2020
Publication statusPublished - 19 Nov 2020

Abstract

Heteroepitaxial modification of nanomaterials has become a powerful means to create novel functionalities for various applications. One of the most elementary factors in heteroepitaxial nanostructures is the misfit strain arising from mismatched lattices of the constituent parts. Misfit strain not only dictates epitaxy kinetics for diversifying nanocrystal morphologies but also provides rational control over materials properties. In recent years, advances in chemical synthesis along with the rapid development of electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques have enabled a substantial understanding of strain-related processes, which offers theoretical foundation and experimental guidance for researchers to refine heteroepitaxial nanostructures and their properties. Herein, recent investigations on heterogeneous core–shell nanocrystals containing misfit strains are summarized, with a focus on the mechanistic understanding of strain and strain-induced effects such as tuning the epitaxial habit, modulating the optical emission, and enhancing the catalytic activity and magnetic coercivity.

Research Area(s)

  • catalysis, core–shell nanocrystals, lattice mismatch, optical tuning, strain relaxation