Device-Scale Perpendicular Alignment of Colloidal Nanorods

The self-assembly of nanocrystals enables new classes of materials whose properties are controlled by the periodicities of the assembly, as well as by the size, shape, and composition of the nanocrystals. While self-assembly of spherical nanoparticles has advanced significantly in the past decade, assembly of rod-shaped nanocrystals has seen limited progress due to the requirement of orientational order. Here, the parameters relevant to self-assembly are systematically quantified using a combination of diffraction and theoretical modeling; these highlight the importance of kinetics on orientational order. Through drying-mediated self-assembly, we achieve unprecedented control over orientational order (up to 96% vertically oriented rods on 1 cm² areas) on a wide range of substrates (ITO, PEDOT:PSS, Si₃N₄). This opens new avenues for nanocrystal-based devices competitive with thin film devices, as problems of granularity can be tackled through crystallographic orientational control over macroscopic areas.