Metallic snowflakes made in liquid metal solvents
Striking shape-controlled structures inspired by ice crystals
Researchers in Australia and New Zealand have grown metal crystals that bear an ‘uncanny similarity’ to snowflakes. Like their icy counterparts, the metallic flakes demonstrate striking and diverse symmetrical patterns. Understanding how to control the structures that materials like these take on could help researchers develop new nanomaterials with specially tailored physical properties.