Particle-mediated nucleation and growth of solution-synthesized metal nanocrystals: A new story beyond the LaMer curve

A controlled synthesis of colloidal metal nanocrystals is fundamental in order to optimize the properties of these crystalline materials for a given application. However, there is no systematic review on the mechanisms for controlling the morphology of nanoparticles during the particle-mediated growth, a non-classical growth of colloid nanocrystals. Hence, in this review, we summarize and compare recent studies on the particle-mediated nucleation, growth and overgrowth of colloidal metal nanocrystals synthesized via the non-classical particle-mediated route. The kinetic factors influencing the non-classical growth have been widely studied both experimentally and utilizing theoretical simulations. With the rapid development of in situ characterization techniques, the new crystal growth mechanisms of colloidal metal nanocrystals beyond the LaMer curve have been well uncovered. Up to now, a variety of metal nanostructures with different well-controlled 0-dimensional (0D), 1D, 2D, and 3D morphologies have been prepared via particle-mediated growth, which are highlighted in this review.