Columnar self-assembly of colloidal nanodisks.

The self-assembly of sterically stabilized colloidal copper sulfide nanodisks, 14-20 nm in diameter and 5-7 nm thick, was studied. The nanodisks were observed by electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering to form columnar arrays when evaporated as thin films from concentrated dispersions. These superstructured nanomaterials might give rise to technologically useful properties, such as anisotropic electrical transport and electrorheological and optical properties.