Particle assembly and attachment have been recognized as commonly occurring pathways for organizing material structures and crystal growth in both synthetic and natural systems. Particle-oriented attachment (OA) was first observed in the hydrothermal growth of TiO2 in 1998 via ex-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With recent developments in experimental techniques such as in-situ TEM and atomic force microscopy, which allow researchers to directly observe particle motion and interfacial structures in liquids, respectively, researchers have gained new fundamental understandings of principles at the atomic and molecular scales. In addition, advances in the ability to accurately describe interfacial structures from first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and to provide integrated theoretical descriptions ranging from DFT to molecular dynamics and theory allow for a new understanding of the mechanisms and driving forces of particle attachment and OA. The research topics include experiments and modeling, emergent experimental and data-mining methods under development.
Although extensive research has been conducted in this area, many fundamental aspects remained unknown until recently—particularly the interplay of solution structure, interfacial forces, and particle motion—because of the limitations in characterization techniques. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a unifying framework to explain phenomena such as interface-driven nucleation and assembly of crystals, and particle-mediated formation of 2D and 3D structures.
We welcome original research, review papers, and perspectives on the following topics:
• Crystal growth and assembly
• Colloid chemistry
• Kinetics and dynamics of oriented attachments of particles
• Interface-driven processes and interface dynamics in gases and liquids
Keywords:
liquid-solid interface, oriented attachment, particle assembly, colloid, molecular dynamics, density functional theory
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Particle assembly and attachment have been recognized as commonly occurring pathways for organizing material structures and crystal growth in both synthetic and natural systems. Particle-oriented attachment (OA) was first observed in the hydrothermal growth of TiO2 in 1998 via ex-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With recent developments in experimental techniques such as in-situ TEM and atomic force microscopy, which allow researchers to directly observe particle motion and interfacial structures in liquids, respectively, researchers have gained new fundamental understandings of principles at the atomic and molecular scales. In addition, advances in the ability to accurately describe interfacial structures from first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and to provide integrated theoretical descriptions ranging from DFT to molecular dynamics and theory allow for a new understanding of the mechanisms and driving forces of particle attachment and OA. The research topics include experiments and modeling, emergent experimental and data-mining methods under development.
Although extensive research has been conducted in this area, many fundamental aspects remained unknown until recently—particularly the interplay of solution structure, interfacial forces, and particle motion—because of the limitations in characterization techniques. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a unifying framework to explain phenomena such as interface-driven nucleation and assembly of crystals, and particle-mediated formation of 2D and 3D structures.
We welcome original research, review papers, and perspectives on the following topics:
• Crystal growth and assembly
• Colloid chemistry
• Kinetics and dynamics of oriented attachments of particles
• Interface-driven processes and interface dynamics in gases and liquids
Keywords:
liquid-solid interface, oriented attachment, particle assembly, colloid, molecular dynamics, density functional theory
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.