Self-assembled CdSe/CdS nanorod sheets studied in the bulk suspension by magnetic alignment

We studied spontaneously self-assembled aggregates in a suspension of CdSe/CdS core/shell nanorods (NRs). The influence of the length and concentration of the NRs and the suspension temperature on the size of the aggregates was investigated using in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and linear dichroism (LD) measurements under high magnetic fields (up to 30 T). The SAXS patterns reveal the existence of crystalline 2-dimensional sheets of ordered NRs with an unusually large distance between the rods. The LD measurements show that the size of the sheets depends on the free-energy driving force for NR self-assembly. More precisely, the sheets are larger if the attraction between NRs is stronger, if the temperature is lower, or if the NR concentration is higher. We show that the formation of large NR sheets is a slow process that can take days. Our in situ results of the structures that spontaneously form in the bulk suspension could further our understanding of NR self-assembly into mono- or multilayer superlattices that occurs at the suspension/air interface upon evaporation of the solvent.