Xiao Wei, Meng Yuan, Yuchen Qiu, Zhenglian Qin, Wen Wen, J. Ma, Huixue Su, Ye Zhang, Junchuan Yang, Hang Liu, Jinjin Zhao, Tenglong Li, Hanfei Gao, Yuchen Wu
The scalable integration of single-crystalline nanomaterials remains a critical challenge in modern materials science, involving precise control of crystal nucleation, growth, and long-range ordered assembly throughout material processing. This Review highlights emerging strategies for inducing ordered nanomaterial assembly by constructing preferred nucleation sites. In the context of micro/nanopatterning, self-assembly occurs within confined spaces ranging from a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers, where ubiquitous boundaries and interfaces drive the system into a kinetically favorable far-from-equilibrium state. Even minute environmental perturbations can trigger random nucleation and uncontrolled assembly. We systematically investigate recent research advances across diverse assembly systems, including confined self-assembly, field-assisted crystallization, and interface-mediated growth, revealing how fine-tuning of thermodynamic parameters enables the transformation of localized regions from far-from-equilibrium to near equilibrium states during micro/nanoscale assembly, thereby achieving controlled assembly. Through in-depth analysis of molecular packing at the microscopic scale, mesoscopic morphology regulation, and macroscopic integration, we further elucidate the critical role of multiscale assembly of single-crystalline nanomaterials in enhancing device performance.