Adoption of near-coincident-site lattice orientations by contacting monolayer rafts of metallic nanoparticles with different superlattice periodicities

A hexagonal raft of monodisperse alkane-thiol-stabilized Au nanoparticles has been self-assembled from solution on to an amorphous C substrate and then subsequently a second layer of monodisperse but differently sized gold nanoparticles deposited on top of the first. Detailed analysis of electron micrographs obtained from various regions of this bilayer revealed the presence of several distinct epitaxial interface structures. A simple near-coincident-site lattice model is used to rationalize the existence of the observed characteristic nanoparticle interface structures.