Videos of gold nanoparticles snapping together show how some crystals grow
The finding could aid in the design of materials whose properties depend on crystal structures
![A microscopic image of columns of black particles. The top row has gold dots in the center](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/040323_jr_nanocube-crystals_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Physicists have now made real-time videos (a still from one shown) of nanoscopic particles locking together into crystals.
Erik Luijten and Qian Chen