Water-templated growth of interfacial superglue polymers for tunable thin films and in-situ fluid encapsulation

Thin polymer films are indispensable elements in numerous technologies ranging from liquid encapsulation to biotechnology to electronics. However, their production typically relies on wet chemistry involving organic solvents or chemical vapor deposition, necessitating elaborate equipment and often harsh conditions. Here, we demonstrate the eco-friendly, fast, and facile synthesis of water-templated interfacial polymers based on cyanoacrylates (superglues) that yield thin films with tailored properties. Specifically, by exposing a cationic surfactant-laden water surface to cyanoacrylate vapors, surfactant-modulated anionic polymerization produces a manipulable thin polymer film with a thickness growth rate of 8 nm/min. Furthermore, the shape and color of the film are precisely controlled by the polymerization kinetics, wetting conditions, and/or exposure to patterned light. Using various interfaces as templates for film growth, including the free surface of drops and soap bubbles, the developed method advantageously enables in-situ packaging of chemical and biological cargos in liquid phase as well as the encapsulation of gases within solidified bubbles. Simple, versatile, and biocompatible, this technology constitutes a potent platform for programmable coating and soft/smart encapsulation of fluids.