ABSTRACT
The synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials is increasingly well developed; however, assembly of nanomaterials into well-organized arrays is challenging. Here we find that gold nanorods, prepared in aqueous solution by a seed-mediated growth approach in the presence of a cationic surfactant, assemble into liquid crystalline phases as a function of nanorod concentration. Liquid crystalline behavior is established by polarizing microscopy, small-angle x-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy.
