From Sphere to Snowflake. In Art of Science

Caption: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) assemble into a snowflake-like structure Participant category: Graduate student Department: NanoEngineering AgNPs possess a spherical shape and are coated to have a negative charge. The AgNPs aggregate upon addition of a positively charged peptide because opposite charges are attracted to one another, resulting in the snowflake shown in the TEM image. The assembly of the AgNPs produces color changes that can be utilized for diagnostics and even the detection of SARS-CoV-2.