US Patent 7582330 - Metallic nanostructures from chromonic material

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7582330.html

Chromatic materials refer to large, multi-ring molecules typically characterized by the presence of a hydrophobic core surrounded by various hydrophilic groups which in high concentration form liquid crystals. This patent from 3M teaches using such chromatic materials to control the orientation and distribution of metallic nanostructures. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of making metallic nanostructures comprising mixing

(a) an aqueous composition comprising a chromonic material with

(b) a metal salt dissolved in solution, and

reducing said metal salt so as to form a metallic nanostructure.