2026-10-14T17:52:35Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34023792 2026-09-29T12:43:42Z category_1 category_146 category_915 category_7 category_21 category_873 category_39 category_61 portal_63 item_type_2 month_year_09_2026

In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy of Plasma-Driven Nanoparticle Synthesis in Solution Jae Hyun Nam (22386791) Daan Hein Alsem (4382449) Peter J. Bruggeman (4994177) Biophysics Space Science Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified Medicine Biotechnology Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Ecology Developmental Biology transmission electron microscopy narrow size distribution induced solvent evaporation enabled process development limited mechanistic understanding driven solution electrochemistry driven nanoparticle synthesis gold nanoparticle nucleation dominant growth process situ </ italic situ </ limited regime rapid synthesis nanomaterial synthesis widely implemented time visualization provide guidance newly developed monomer attachment limiting processes likely due free approach film edge direct observation current lack control strategies colloidal nanomaterials Plasma-driven solution electrochemistry (PDSE) offers an additive-free approach to nanomaterial synthesis but has not been widely implemented because of the current lack of control strategies, rooted in the limited mechanistic understanding of nucleation and growth that has been inaccessible to direct observation. We report on the real-time visualization of gold nanoparticle nucleation, growth, and coalescence in a thin ionic liquid film using a newly developed <i>in situ</i> plasma–liquid transmission electron microscopy platform. Monomer attachment is identified as the dominant growth process, and the measured growth rates suggest a nucleation-limited regime. Trajectory analysis reveals enhanced nucleation near the film edge, likely due to an increased monomer concentration caused by plasma-induced solvent evaporation. The reported observations provide critical insights into mechanisms and rate-limiting processes and can provide guidance for PDSE-enabled process development to achieve the rapid synthesis of colloidal nanomaterials with a narrow size distribution. 2026-09-29T00:00:00Z Dataset Media 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6c03033.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/media/In_Situ_Transmission_Electron_Microscopy_of_Plasma-Driven_Nanoparticle_Synthesis_in_Solution/34023792 CC BY-NC 4.0