Over the last several decades, colloidal nanoparticles have evolved into a prominent class of building blocks for materials design. Important advances include the synthesis of uniform nanoparticles with tailored compositions and properties, and the precision construction of intricate, higher-level structures from nanoparticles via self-assembly. Grasping the modern complexity of nanoparticles and their superstructures requires fundamental understandings of the processes of nanoparticle growth and self-assembly. In situ liquid phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has significantly advanced our understanding of these dynamic processes by allowing direct observation of how individual atoms and nanoparticles interact in real time, in their native phases. In this article, we highlight diverse nucleation and growth pathways of nanoparticles in solution that could be elucidated by the in situ liquid phase TEM. Furthermore, we showcase in situ liquid phase TEM studies of nanoparticle self-assembly pathways, highlighting the complex interplay among nanoparticles, ligands, and solvents. The mechanistic insights gained from in situ liquid phase TEM investigation could inform the design and synthesis of novel nanomaterials for various applications such as catalysis, energy conversion, and optoelectronic devices.

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中文翻译：

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纳米颗粒生长和自组装的液相透射电子显微镜最新进展

在过去的几十年里，胶体纳米粒子已经发展成为材料设计的一类重要的构建模块。重要的进步包括合成具有定制成分和特性的均匀纳米粒子，以及通过自组装从纳米粒子精确构建复杂的高级结构。掌握纳米颗粒及其超结构的现代复杂性需要对纳米颗粒生长和自组装过程有基本的了解。原位液相透射电子显微镜 (TEM) 通过直接观察单个原子和纳米粒子在其自然相中如何实时相互作用，显着增进了我们对这些动态过程的理解。在本文中，我们重点介绍了溶液中纳米颗粒的多种成核和生长途径，这些途径可以通过原位液相 TEM 来阐明。此外，我们还展示了纳米颗粒自组装途径的原位液相 TEM 研究，强调了纳米颗粒、配体和溶剂之间复杂的相互作用。从原位液相 TEM 研究中获得的机理见解可以为催化、能量转换和光电器件等各种应用的新型纳米材料的设计和合成提供信息。

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