nanocrystal

noun

nano·​crys·​tal ˈna-nə-ˌkri-stᵊl How to pronounce nanocrystal (audio)
: a nanoscale crystal
nanocrystalline adjective

Examples of nanocrystal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gur had been working on a way to use nanocrystals to make very cheap solar panels, and one of his papers had just been featured in the prestigious journal Science. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2024 And yet Gur realized that his nanocrystals stood no real chance of having an impact. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2024 There are thousands of potential types of hybrid nanocrystals. Mahshid Ahmadi, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2024 When the solution is exposed to LED lights at wavelengths of 405 nm, the nanocrystals become excited and cause the PFAS molecules to stick to their surface. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 29 July 2024 For tellurite glass, as its structure was reformed, seeds consisting of clusters of tellurium atoms formed, and eventually grew into tellurium nanocrystals as the glass phase decomposed. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 Once an easy method for manufacturing near-perfect quantum dots existed, the nanocrystals finally began finding their way into practical applications. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023 Brus had improved the process somewhat, but the resulting nanocrystals still weren't quite up to par. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023 Because electrons can be trapped at certain energy levels within them, the nanocrystals can emit only certain wavelengths of light. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 4 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nanocrystal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nanocrystal was in 1984

Dictionary Entries Near nanocrystal

Cite this Entry

“Nanocrystal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nanocrystal. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!