Precise control over kinetics of molecular assembly for producing particles with tunable sizes and crystalline forms

: It has been long-pursued but remains great challenge to precisely manipulate the molecule assembly process to have desired functional structures. Here, we report such a control over the assembly of solute molecules, via a programmed recrystallization of solvent crystal grains, to form micro/nano- particles with tunable sizes and crystalline forms. A quantitative correlation between the protocol of recrystallization temperature and the assembly kinetics results in the precise control over the size of assembled particles, ranging from single-atom catalysts, pure drug nanoparticles to sub-millimeter organic-semiconductor single crystals. The extensive regulation of the assembly rates leads to the unique and powerful capability in tuning the stacking of molecules, involving the formation of single crystals of notoriously crystallization-resisting molecules and amorphous structures of molecules with a very high propensity to crystallize, which endows very wide applications.