Trapping shape-controlled nanoparticle nucleation and growth stages via continuous-flow chemistry

Abstract

Continuous flow chemistry is used to trap the nucleation and growth stages of platinum–nickel nano-octahedra with second time resolution and high throughputs to probe their properties ex situ. The growth starts from poorly crystalline particles (nucleation) at 5 seconds, to crystalline 1.5 nm particles bounded by the {111}-facets at 7.5 seconds, followed by truncation and further growth to octahedral nanoparticles at 20 seconds.