Millimeter-Scale Assembly of CdSe Nanorods into Smectic Superstructures by Solvent Drying Kinetics

Solid-state CdSe nanorod (NR) smectic superstructures (see figure) on a millimeter scale are achieved by exploiting capillary flow kinetics of a drying droplet. NRs assemble side-to-side into micrometer-long "tracks", acting as individual building blocks that assemble by capillary forces into smectic superstructures. The size of the superstructures and the short drying time makes the capillary-flow mechanism of ordered self-assembly attractive for general NR-superstructure studies and applications.