Gilded mysteries unveiled: Ancient art meets nanotechnology in nanoscale goldbeating
Goldbeating, an age-old craft pioneered by ancient Egyptian artisans more than five millennia ago, involves the meticulous thinning of bulk gold into gossamer-like leaves. Throughout history, this intricate process has adorned various masterpieces, such as the tombs of Thebes and Saqqara, and has cemented its place in art and adornments across cultures.
oday, nanoscale gold is used not only for decorating fancy desserts, but is indispensable for modern applications ranging from microelectronics to nanomedicine.
Bridging the gap between ancient arts and modern technology, researchers from the University of South Florida, Clemson University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered that even nanoscopic gold ingots can be compressed into 2D leaf forms, replicating the ancient process of goldbeating, but at the nanoscale.
"We were intrigued by the idea of borrowing ancient craft for modern nanomanufacturing processes," said researcher Michael Cai Wang, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at USF. "The ability to fabricate 2D thin films from nanoparticles opens up new frontiers in nanotechnology and materials science, as we further pursue green ways to engineer gold at USF."
The researchers' recently published article in PNAS Nexus, "Nanoscale Goldbeating: Solid-State Transformation of 0D and 1D Gold Nanoparticles to Anisotropic 2D Morphologies," explores and offers insights into the world of nanoscale metallic deformation and 2D leaf formation. The understanding gained from this study can lead to the development of a broad palette of nanocrystals and nanometals, paving the way for exciting future applications in renewable energy, quantum computing, and nanomedicine.
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