Alignment of Gold Nanorods in Polymer Composites and on Polymer Surfaces

Alignment of gold nanorods incorporated into bulk polymers and imprinted at polymer surfaces by mechanical stretching is presented. Alignment of aspect-ratio-4.4 and -16 nanorods along the stretch direction is determined using polarized absorption spectroscopy, Rayleigh light scattering, and AFM (see Figure). Polymer film stretching is shown to be a simple approach to controlling nanorod orientation on surfaces and within bulk polymeric materials.