Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Utilization of Plasmonic and Photonic Crystal Nanostructures for Enhanced Micro- and Nanoparticle Manipulation
Published on: September 27, 2011
Evaporation-Induced Phase Transitions in Free-Standing Plasmonic Nanoparticle Assemblies
Claire Hotton1, Jaime Gabriel Trazo1, Evgeny Modin2
1Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Orsay 91405, France.
None:
Evaporation-induced self-assembly transforms dilute nanoparticle suspensions into ordered plasmonic superlattices, yet the microscopic mechanisms remain unclear for anisotropic particles in water. Here, we study the drying kinetics of silver nanorod (AgNR) dispersions in cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) using time-resolved levitated small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), complemented by microbeam SAXS and focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy on dried samples. The key parameter governing superlattice formation is the initial surfactant concentration, outweighing nanoparticle concentration and shape effects. AgNR ordering is synchronized with surfactant organization: CTAC micelles induce depletion attractions that drive nucleation and growth, followed by structural arrest upon CTAC gelation. These findings are directly relevant for improving the design of plasmonic metamaterial and nanoparticle (NP) self-assemblies in a broad sense. Moreover, the dual role played by CTAC micelles (promotion of NPs ordering followed by structural arrest) likely represents a mechanism applicable to other systems where depletants undergo gelation during drying.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition

