Metallic Nanowire Growth In Solution: The Effect of Mechanical Disturbance

The effect of mechanical disturbance on 1D nanocrystal growth in solution phase isinvestigated by controlled growth of Au nanowires with and without stirring. While a static growth leads tostraight, single-crystal Au nanowires, the mechanic disturbance by stirring tends to bend the nanowire growth,yielding nanowire kinks abundant in various types of crystal defects including dislocations, twin boundariesand grain boundaries. Mechanical modeling and analysis is introduced to elucidate the nanowire growthmechanisms in these two conditions. This work provides fundamental understanding of crystal defectformation at nanoscale which could be applied to guide the development of advanced nanomaterials withshape control and unique mechanical properties.