Pushing Nanocrystal Synthesis toward Nanomanufacturing

The potential of using nanocrystals in applications within the fields of catalysis, electronics, medicine, and others has fueled research into the preparation and assembly of these materials. For most applications, it is necessary to have nanocrystal samples in which the size, shape, composition, and structure are tightly controlled within a narrow distribution. This need has motivated researchers to explore different synthesis protocols, including a method featured in this issue of ACS Nano by Kitaev and co-workers, where decahedral silver nanoparticles were used as seed particles for the growth of faceted silver rods. In this Perspective, we describe recent advances in seeded growth as the ultimate approach to producing metal nanocrystals with precisely controlled sizes, shapes, and compositions—the necessary first step toward their use and assembly for large-scale applications.