Strain-driven self-rolling of hybrid organic–inorganic microrolls: interfaces with self-assembled particles

"Strain driven micro and nanoroll fabrication is generally restricted to multilayer and multiprocessing systems, limiting the. ability to exploit self-organization at different length scales. We have designed a hybrid organic–inorganic single-layered film. with a surface that responds selectively to external stimuli, resulting in mechanical strain and self-rolling in one-step. fabrication. The scrolling is initiated by water and any aqueous solution of molecules or colloidal particles. During scrolling, the. different species in solution remain entrapped in the rolls; the constrained environment at the interface of the roll walls pushes. the particles to organize into ordered structures. We used this rolling process to create self-assembled hybrid films with. well-ordered layers of gold nanoparticles and opals of polystyrene nanospheres. These films also respond selectively to solvents,. allowing the easy release of molecules\/particles entrapped at the interface."