image: Nanoparticles of ferrihydrite, an iron oxyhydroxide mineral, typically grow by oriented attachment of nanoparticles a few nanometers in diameter when particles approach one another in perfect crystallographic alignment. A detailed understanding of this process could be important for controlled synthesis of nanomaterials. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the May 25, 2012, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by D. Li at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA, and colleagues was titled, "Direction-Specific Interactions Control Crystal Growth by Oriented Attachment." view more
Credit: Artwork by Zina Deretsky, www.zina-studio.com