Thin films with self-assembled monolayers embedded on their surfaces

We have recently shown that the capillarity-based process for self-assembling particle monolayers on fluid–liquid interfaces can be improved by applying an electric field in the direction normal to the interface. In this paper, we present a technique for freezing these monolayers onto the surface of a flexible thin film. The technique involves assembling the monolayer on the interface between a UV-curable resin and a fluid which can be air or another liquid, and then curing the resin by applying UV light. The monolayer becomes embedded on the surface of the solidified resin film.