Patent ID: 8652874

Claim:
A method of making patterned nanostructures, comprising the steps of: a. placing a self-assembled monolayer of organic spheres on a substrate, the organic spheres defining interstitial areas between the organic spheres, the placing step including: i. adding a plurality of organic spheres to a liquid having a surface tension that would cause the organic spheres to self-assemble into a substantially ordered monolayer on a top surface of the liquid; ii. placing the substrate in the liquid; iii. drawing the substrate out of the liquid so that the substrate is at an angle that is transverse to the monolayer so that the organic spheres become disposed on the top surface of the substrate; and iv. allowing any remaining liquid to dry from the substrate and the organic spheres; b. applying catalyst particles to the monolayer and allowing the catalyst particles to settle onto the substrate in the interstitial areas; c. removing the organic spheres, thereby leaving a patterned arrangement of catalyst particles on the substrate; and d. growing nanorods from the substrate in the interstitial areas.