File Name : figs1.pdf Caption : : optical images of dried deposit, corresponding sem images and height profiles at different σ for c = 1 wt. % (a-e), c = 10 wt. % (f-j) and c = 20 wt. % (k-o) respectively. File Name : figs2.pdf Caption : sem images of bare hnts nanorods of c = 0.5 wt% at the centre (σ ≈ 0) and at the edge (σ ≈ 1) respectively. File Name : figs3.pdf Caption : non-monotonic behaviour between s and σ emerges as we increase hnt concentration, c. (a) c = 1 wt% (b) c =10 wt%. File Name : figs4.pdf Caption : distribution of local nematic order p(s) for nematic, isotropic and transition phase in our experiments. File Name : figs5.pdf Caption : the effect of grid area a for calculating s in an sem image. clearly, the resulting is independent of the choice of a over a range of 0.08 – 0.23 µm2.