The influence of the substrate on the morphology of 2D and 3D superlattices
made of 5.8 nm silver sulfide nanocrystals coated with dodecanethiol is re
ported. The two substrates used are highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOP
G) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). The self-assemblies of nanocrystals wer
e characterized with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microsco
py techniques, and it was found that the self-organization in 2D and 3D sup
erlattices markedly differs with the substrate used. These changes in behav
ior are explained in terms of particle-particle and particle-substrate van
der Waals interactions and capillary forces.