Templating crystal growth at the nanometer-scale with monotropic columnar mesophase

Crystallization from a monotropic columnar mesophase is shown to proceed via one-dimensional growth, in which the growing crystalline phase follows the columnar tracks of the parent mesophase (see Figure). Such control over the crystal structure by the mesophase template could pave the way to tailoring crystalline morphologies at the scale of an individual columnar diameter (3-5 nm).