(April 9, 2015) Our
world is full of patterns, from the twist of a DNA molecule to the spiral of
the Milky Way. New research from Carnegie Mellon chemists has revealed that
tiny, synthetic gold nanoparticles exhibit some of nature’s most intricate
patterns.
Unveiling the kaleidoscope of these patterns was a Herculean
task, and it marks the first time that a nanoparticle of this size has been
crystallized and its structure mapped out atom by atom. The researchers report
their work in the March 20 issue of Science Advances.