Molecular-like selectivity emerges in nanocrystal chemistry.

As a nanocrystal's structural characteristics relate strongly to its properties, designing increasingly precise syntheses is important for making nanocrystals that are most tailored for a particular application. Importing concepts traditionally associated with the chemistry of small molecules has historically expanded the array of tools available to exert fine control over a nanocrystal's shape and architecture, and consequently its function. Here, we focus on recent work on using concepts from molecular chemistry such as regioselectivity and chemoselectivity in seeded or template-engaged syntheses, and generally draw attention to the idea of having anisotropic, spatially controlled reactivity on a nanocrystal's surface by design.