A few years ago, a promising new type of nanomaterial was observed experimentally, combining the virtues of semiconductors with those of graphene. The material is formed by nanocrystals that spontaneously assemble into a honeycomb structure. Until now, it was unclear why the nanocrystals show this specific behaviour, but Utrecht researchers Giuseppe Soligno and Daniel Vanmaekelbergh have now developed a simulation model that reproduces the formation of these nanostructures in detail. The researchers published their results in Physical Review X.