Regular arrays of 2 nm metal nanoparticles for deterministic synthesis of nanomaterials.

A novel method is developed to enable the formation, positioning, and patterning of individual metal nanoclusters with controllable and monodispersed sizes down to 1-2 nm scale. The method is generic for fabricating designed arrays of virtually any type of metal nanoparticles well below 10 nm. Among the wide range of potential applications in surface and materials science, the nanoparticle arrays are used for deterministic synthesis of monodispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes at individually controlled locations with near 1:1 yield, reaching one of the ultimate goals of nanotube synthesis.