Internal structure of silver crystallites: going beyond nanostructure using novel processing technique

Using novel processing of TEM image to investigate nanoparticles of metallic solutions is exemplified in the case of silver nano-crystals. The results show for the first time that the real internal structure of silver crystallites consists of nuclei and multi-layers. The multi-layers of the crystals are arranged symmetrically around their nuclei. The dimensions of nuclei lie in the range of atomic-scale. The shape of nuclei determined the final shape of the crystals. The mechanisms of formation and growth for both silver crystallites and silver nanoparticles are demonstrated. This technique will give birth to the ongoing revolution in nano-technology. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, Weinheim