Monodisperse and ultrathin LaOCl nanoplates were synthesized via the thermolysis of La(CCl3COO)(3) in long chain amine and 1-octadecene. This single source precursor approach is simple but atomically efficient. The uniform amine-capped LaOCl nanoplates can be aligned into nanowire-like and nanorod-like superstructures, as a result of the different strengths of the interchain molecular interactions of the capping molecules during the self-assembly process of the nanoplates.