Composite, helical nanostructures formed using cooperative interactions of liquid crystals and Au nanoparticles were studied using a scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode. The investigated helical assemblies exhibit long-range hierarchical order across length scales, as a result of the crystallization (freezing) directed growth mechanism of nanoparticle-coated twisted nanoribbons and their ability to form organized bundles. Here, STEM methods were used to reproduce the 3D structure of the Au nanoparticle double helix.
Keywords: 3D reconstruction; helical assemblies; liquid crystals; nanoarchitectonics.