Patent ID: 7879392

Claim:
A method of applying a particulate material composition to a surface, the method including the steps of: applying a particulate material composition to a surface, the particulate material composition comprising a carrier material and a plurality of elongated particles of cylindrical symmetry having a diameter of from about 5 nm to about 500 nm, the plurality of elongated particles further having a length that is greater than the diameter with such elongated particles having a diameter that is within 10% of 9 4 ⁢ z 0 ⁢ α 2 , wherein the separation distance, z 0 , is about 1 nm and the aspect ratio, α, is greater than 1, the diameter and the aspect ratio affecting the orientation of such elongated particles in relation to a surface on which the particulate material composition is applied, wherein as a result of applying the particulate material composition to the surface some of the elongated particles are oriented perpendicular to the surface on which the particulate material composition is applied and some of the elongated particles are oriented horizontal to the surface on which the particulate material composition is applied; and wherein some of the elongated particles that are oriented perpendicular to the surface re-orient themselves so as to be oriented horizontal to the surface or some of the elongated cylindrical particles that are oriented horizontal to the surface re-orient themselves so as to be oriented vertical to the surface.