Elasticity to position microplates on curved 2D fluids: Research is a leap forward in the quest for flexible ultrathin materials

A team of polymer science and engineering researchers has demonstrated for the first time that the positions of tiny, flat, solid objects integrated in nanometrically thin membranes - resembling those of biological cells - can be controlled by mechanically varying the elastic forces in the membrane itself. This research milestone is a significant step toward the goal of creating ultrathin flexible materials that self-organize and respond immediately to mechanical force.