Nanosize precursors as building blocks for monodispersed colloids

It is shown that many monodispersed colloid particles, precipitated in homogeneous solutions, are formed by aggregation of nanosize subunits. A model is described that specifies conditions which may yield such spherical particles of narrow size distribution by interactions of precursor singlets. A good agreement was achieved for size selection of gold and cadmium sulfide dispersions. It is illustrated that particles of other shapes may also formed by the aggregation mechanism, and the challenges facing attempts to quantify such processes are pointed out. Finally, examples are given of consequences caused by particles being composed of nanosubunits.