Volume 1 Issue 8, August 2016

To optimize the synthesis of functionally designed nanoparticles, a clear understanding of their formation mechanisms is needed. This Review presents the structural properties of nanoclusters and their role in the prenucleation period, and discusses nonclassical nucleation and growth models, as well as heterogeneous nucleation of multicomponent nanoparticles.

Applications of liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cryogenic TEM to investigations of dynamic processes in diverse materials systems — both inorganic and organic — are transforming our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation of materials in synthetic, biological and geochemical environments.

Complex mechanisms are responsible for the biomineralization of skeletal tissues and pathological calcification in the cardiovascular system. In this Review, the physiochemical and biomechanical properties of mineralized tissues, both physiologic and pathophysiologic, and analytical methods to elucidate their finer structure are discussed.

Multiferroic materials exhibit magnetic and ferroelectric order at the same time and provide a way to control magnetism with electric fields. We discuss the mechanisms supporting multiferroicity, multiferroic thin films and heterostructures, the non-equilibrium dynamics of multiferroics, fundamental symmetry issues and the impact of multiferroics on other research areas.