Liquid crystalline assemblies of ordered gold nanorods

Abstract

Gold nanorods have been prepared in aqueous solution using a seed-mediated growth approach in the presence of surfactant. We observe the formation of liquid crystalline phases in concentrated solutions of high aspect ratio (13–18) gold nanorods by polarizing microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. These phases, which are stable up to 200 °C, exhibit concentration-dependent orientational order.