Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Free-Standing Nanofilms by Controlled Rolling

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 34; no. 20; pp. 5831 - 5836
• Main Authors: Kang, Sumin, Pyo, Jae-Bum, Kim, Taek-Soo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 22.05.2018
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01063

A water surface not only provides a habitat to many living organisms but also opens up new possibilities to develop state-of-the-art technologies. Here, we show a technology for the layer-by-layer assembly of free-standing nanofilms by controlled rolling. The water surface is exploited as an ideal platform for rolling a nanofilm, allowing adhesion control and frictionless feeding. The nanofilm floating on the water surface is attached to a tube by van der Waals adhesion and is rolled up by the rotation of the tube. This method can assemble diverse film materials including metals, polymers, and two-dimensional materials, with an easy control of the number of layers. Furthermore, heterogeneous and spiral structures of the nanofilm are achieved. Various applications such as a stretchable tubular electrode, an electroactive polymer tube actuator, and a superelastic nanofilm tube are demonstrated. We believe this work can potentially lead to a breakthrough in the nanofilm assembly processes.