X-ray view of nanostructures

For many applications, materials can be made a great deal more efficient by giving them a specific nanoscale structure. Materials that organise themselves to create the desired structures, without the need for complex procedures, are particularly interesting. A research team from the University of Hamburg, DESY, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich has now turned its attention to this self-organisation. Using a range of different X-ray techniques, the scientists observed the formation of tiny cobalt oxide crystals, just a few nanometres across, and watched as these joined up to produce uniform assemblies even while the crystals were being formed. The team has reported its results in the journal Nature Communications.