From Nanosnakes to Nanosheets: A Matrix-Mediated Shape Evolution

The remarkable shape transformation of Ag@PPy nanosnakes into Ag@PPy irregular nanosheets is presented. The tortuous nanosnakes are capable of bending and folding under hydrothermal conditions while retaining the crystallographic coherence of their silver core, thus allowing different nanosnake stretches to join according to an oriented attachment mechanism and yielding bigger thin irregular nanosheets. We propose a matrix-mediated nanomaleability mechanism to account for the shape transformation presented here. We think this novel mechanism can also be behind other reported nanostructures shape transformations which are not fully understood yet.