The promise of nanoparticles stems from their potential to modify the physical and mechanical properties of polymers for diverse applications, such as photovoltaic cells, sensors, and separation membranes. Methods currently used to create desired nanostructure, however, rely on complex and energy-intensive techniques, such as layer-by-layer or patterning approaches, which are limited in scale and often have poor stability. Publishing in Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4589), Dr. Minhao Wong, a former graduate research assistant in the Polymer Technology Center of Dr. H-J Sue, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Dr. Ryohei Ishige of I2CNER (International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research), Kyushu University in Japan, have developed a simple approach of applying a surface coating of thin, flat nanoplatelets using a common spray gun, such as can be purchased off-the-shelf from an art supply store, to create a surface coating in which nanoplatelets spontaneously self-assemble into “nano-walls.” The nano-walls act as rigid barriers that prevent oxygen gas from reaching the surface, and are effective at low and high humidity levels. Using this scalable and simple processing method, researchers have achieved extremely fine and highly ordered nano-scale features that are conventionally achieved with complex and energy-intensive manufacturing techniques. This new technology is expected to be immediately useful
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