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Wet TEM methods also played a central role in another recent investigation. studied growth and formation of gold nanorods prepared by reducing HAuCl4 in a surfactant solution. Based on in situ microscopy work, the team concludes that the rods grow by forming certain types of multiply twinned (imperfect) nanocrystals that serve as sites for metal diffusion and promote nanorod growth. The results demonstrate that surfactant molecules can stabilize ordinarily unstable surfaces such as Au(110). The study also reveals that the (110) surface is ridged--not atomically flat--and other details relevant to molecular electronics technology
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