Home▸Nanotechnology & MEMS▸Wulff Construction: Equilibrium Nanocrystal Shape

Wulff Construction: Equilibrium Nanocrystal Shape

Interactive 3D Wulff construction: set the relative surface energies of {100} and {111} facets and watch a metal nanocrystal morph between cube, truncated cube, cuboctahedron, truncated octahedron and octahedron — the same geometry that sets the equilibrium shape of real gold and platinum nanocrystals.

Nanotechnology & MEMS3DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

Real metal nanocrystals are not spheres — they facet into cubes, octahedra and truncated shapes because the crystal minimises total surface energy for a given volume. This simulator builds the exact three-dimensional Wulff construction from two competing facet families, {100} and {111}, letting you set each one's relative surface energy and watch the equilibrium polyhedron morph continuously between cube, truncated cube, cuboctahedron, truncated octahedron and octahedron, with live facet-area and total-surface-energy readouts.

⚙ Under the hood

Interactive 3D Wulff construction: set the relative surface energies of {100} and {111} crystal facets and watch a metal nanocrystal morph between cube, truncated cube, cuboctahedron, truncated octahedron and octahedron.

nanophysicssurface-energycrystal-facetswulff-constructionnanocrystalmaterials-science

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install