Supramolecular assembly and hybridization in giant nanomembranes

We demonstrated recently that large nanomembranes became available from inorganic, organic/inorganic and totally organic precursors. Spin coating of mixtures of acrylate monomers and zirconium butoxide (or tetraethoxysilane), when combined with simultaneous radical polymerization and sol-gel reaction, gave 10-30 nm thick, free-standing nanomembranes composed of metal oxides and crosslinked acrylates as interpenetrating network. This approach was extended to thermosetting resins (epoxy, melamine and phthalic resins), to fabricate robust, free-standing nanomembranes. Mechanical properties of the nanomembranes as measured by the bulge test and by a compression method were comparable to those of the corresponding macroscopic resins. The hybrid nanomembrane was subsequently prepared by supramolecular assembly of the nanofilm with surfactants and lipids. These amphiphiles produced adsorbed monolayers on the nanomembrane and some of the assemblies were stably kept in water.