Liquid crystalline assemblies of ordered gold nanorods

Gold nanorods have been prepared in aqueous solution using a seed-mediated growth approach in the presence of surfactant. We observe the formation of liquid crystalline phases in concentrated solutions of high aspect ratio ( 13 18) gold nanorods by polarizing microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and small angle X-ray scattering. These phases, which are stable up to 200degreesC, exhibit concentration-dependent orientational order.