Preferred crystallographic orientation of nanocrystals embedded inside nanopores

The preferred crystallographic orientation of nanocrystals plays a significant role in determining their properties. From the wide variety of nanocrystal growth techniques, we focus in this paper on crystal growth by precipitation from liquid solutions inside porous substrates, and discuss the progress that has been made during the last decade concerning the control of crystal growth direction through this method. In this overview, the motivation and principal mechanisms of achieving highly oriented nanocrystals are presented. Moreover, different experimental challenges within the described growth technique are probed. The paper presents the thermodynamic and kinetic considerations for favoring crystal growth inside pores rather than bulk growth. A special focus is made on the origin of obtaining preferred crystallographic orientations in various types of materials, including varying perspectives of thermodynamic and kinetic driving forces. The paper ends with technological application of crystal growth with preferred crystallographic orientation inside nano-pores.