Figure 3

The schematic illustration for the growth process of flower-like silver nanostructures.
(a) The molecular structure of AOT (C20H37NaO7S). The molecule contains a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic chains. (b) The microphase-separated nanostructure of the liquid crystalline phase. (c) The initial silver dots electrodeposited at the beginning of the process. (d) The aggregated silver structures break the liquid crystalline phase and become flowerlike as the deposition process continues.