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Gas-Solid van der Waals Interaction Driving the Dynamic Evolution of Surface Nanostructures
Changping Liu1,2, Heng Liang3, Jie Luo4
1State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 9, 2026
Summary
Weak intermolecular forces, like van der Waals interactions, rapidly restructured gold nanoislands on a gold surface using water vapor. This discovery offers new ways to engineer nanostructures under mild conditions.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Nanomaterials science
- Physical chemistry
Background:
- Weak intermolecular forces are crucial in various scientific fields but their impact on gas-solid interfaces is not well understood.
- Understanding these forces is key to controlling phenomena at the nanoscale.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of weak intermolecular forces in the restructuring of metal nanostructures.
- To provide atomic-level evidence for the influence of water vapor on gold nanoisland dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in-situ experiments under millibar-range water vapor at room temperature.
- Observed monolayer gold nanoislands on a gold(111) surface using advanced microscopy techniques.
- Analyzed atomic restructuring processes like particle migration, coalescence, and Ostwald ripening.
Main Results:
- Monolayer gold nanoislands on Au(111) exhibited rapid restructuring within seconds when exposed to water vapor.
- Van der Waals interactions between water molecules and gold surface atoms were identified as the primary driving force.
- Formation of transient water-adsorbed gold adatom complexes facilitated atomic detachment and migration.
Conclusions:
- Weak physical interactions, specifically van der Waals forces, are sufficient to induce significant restructuring of metal nanostructures.
- Water vapor can act as a catalyst for reshaping nanomaterials under mild, room-temperature conditions.
- This research opens new avenues for engineering surface architectures and nanostructures with precise control.
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