Combining Surface Lattice Engineering and Growth Kinetics for Controlled Noble Metal Nanomultimers

Noble metal nanomultimers, comprising metal domains linked by homo- or heterointerfaces, exhibit significant potential across diverse applications. Despite their promise, achieving broad applicability with precise control over the polymerization degree, composition, and size remains a considerable challenge. By drawing inspiration from the stepwise addition of functional groups into selected starting molecules in organic synthesis, this study presents a versatile strategy that integrates growth kinetics with surface lattice engineering to enable seed-mediated growth in a single-site mode, resulting in nanodimers with adjustable composition, size, and morphology. Furthermore, these nanodimers are subsequently utilized as seeds to fabricate nanotrimers, which then guide the formation of nanotetramers, thereby allowing systematic control over the polymerization degree. This methodology enhances the design and synthesis of nanomultimers, paving the way for the creation of tailored nanocrystals with high precision.