Pressure-Induced Transformations of Three-Component Heterostructural Nanocrystals with CdS-Au2S Janus Nanoparticles as Hosts and Small Au Nanoparticles as Satellites

Heterostructural nanocrystals (HNCs) have drawn enormous attention because of the combined and synergistic properties inherited from their individual components and interactions. Here we design a three-component CdS-Au2S-Au Janus-satellite HNC to study the pressure process of HNC superlattices (HNC-SLs). In situ small/wide-angle X-ray scattering shows that the HNC-SLs can undergo structural transformations at both atomic and meso scales. At the same time, CdS-Au2S-Au Janus-satellite HNCs can morphologically transform into CdS-Au2S-Au heterotrimer HNCs through intraparticle migration and coalescence of Au satellites. Our results demonstrate that pressure can be employed as a clean and efficient way to fabricate complex heterostructural nanomaterials suitable for potential applications in photocatalysis and theranostics.