Crystallization within Intermediate Amorphous Phases Determines the Polycrystallinity of Nanoparticles from Coprecipitation

Intense research on nanocrystals synthesized in solution is motivated by their original physical properties, which are determined by their sizes and shapes on various scales. However, morphology control on the nanoscale is limited by our understanding of crystallization, which is challenged by the now well-established prevalence of noncrystalline intermediates. In particular, the impact of such intermediates on the final sizes and crystal quality remains unclear because the characterization of their evolution on the nanometer and millisecond scales with non-perturbative analyses has remained a challenge. Here we use in situ X-ray scattering to show that the nucleation and growth of YVO4:Eu nanocrystals is spatially restrained within amorphous, nanometer-scaled intermediates. The reactivity and size of these amorphous intermediates determine (i) the mono versus polycrystalline character of final crystals and (ii) the size of final crystals. This implies that designing amorphous intermediates themselves that form in <6 ms is one of the keys to controlled bottom-up syntheses of optimized nanoparticles.