Ice-assisted cryogenic embrittlement grinding for surfactant-free fabrication of soft nanomaterials

Key Points

• The aim is to develop an innovative grinding technique, ICE-grinding, for synthesizing soft nanoparticles without surfactants.
• Introduced ICE-grinding method using cryogenic vitrification.
• Employed glassy ice to embrittle gel materials.
• Directed nanoscale fracture while maintaining polymer networks.
• Successfully synthesized soft nanoparticles without chemical contaminants.
• Preserved polymer networks indicate potential improvements for nanomedicine applications.
• Demonstrated effective control over nanoparticle formation through the new grinding method.