Ordered array of linear and spherical nanomaterials in a film formation via self assembly

Convective force driven self-assembled colloidal templates worked to confine one dimensional Au nanorods and carbon nanotubes in parallel mode around the spherical colloidal templates. Au nanorods showed different array density depending on the Au nanorod concentration (ca. 0.03-0.09 wt%). It was found that the flexural property of CNTs allowed the formation of ordered, two dimensional CNT networks. This ordering was successfully observed for both polystyrene and silica colloidal templates. The resulting CNT network order was kept after the colloidal templates were etched away. In contrast, a similar procedure to produce ordered nanowires of SnO2 indicated that the rigidity of the SnO2 nanowires did not allow the arraying along the surface of the colloidal template particles but instead induced local disorder in the colloidal array.