Nonclassical Shapes of Noble‐Metal Colloids by Synthesis in Microgel Nanoreactors

Nuggets and threads form upon reduction of gold salts under various reaction conditions in nanometer-sized polymer gel particles (see picture on the right). Due to their structure and resulting elasticity, these microgels create to local reaction environment that, as with biomineralization, favors the production of ordered nanostructures. Thus, size and shape control are not restricted to living organisms, but are also possible in synthetic colloid systems.