The influence of the substrate on the morphology of 2D and 3D superlattices
made of 5.8 run silver sulfide nanocrystals coated with dodecanethiol is r
eported. Two substrates, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and moly
bdenum disulfide (MoS2), are used. Self-assemblies of nanocrystals are char
acterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron mi
croscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. It is proposed
that the different behaviors observed on the two substrates are related to
van der Waals interactions between particles and between particle-substrat
e as well as to capillary forces. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.