Self-assembly: an option to nanoporous metal nanocrystals.

Nanoporous metal nanocrystals involving both nanoscale effects and nanopore properties hold enormous promising potential for various important applications due to their unique structures such as large surface area per unit volume and interconnected open framework. Self-assembly, as an excellent option, has been developed to control the desired structure and rational performance of nanoporous metal nanocrystals. After identifying features of their methodologies and structures, the control of synthesis based on the self-assembly technique is thoroughly discussed. The development of the self-assembly synthesis methodology is then presented in detail. The emerging application, mainly in catalysis, and corresponding design are finally summarized.