A view into how nanoscale building blocks can rearrange into different organized structures on command is now possible with an approach that combines an electron microscope, a small sample holder with microscopic channels, and computer simulations, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Indiana University.
The approach could eventually enable smart materials and coatings that can switch between different optical, mechanical and electronic properties.
"One of my favorite examples of this phenomenon in nature is in chameleons," said Tobias Dwyer, U-M doctoral student in chemical engineering and co-first author of the study published in Nature Chemical Engineering.
"Chameleons change color by altering the spacing between nanocrystals in their skin. The dream is to design a dynamic and multifunctional system that can be as good as some of the examples that we see in biology."
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