Abstract
Gravitationally induced stratification during self-assembly often leads to density-driven vertical segregation, resulting in an inherent density gradient that severely limits the synthesis of metastable nanofilms requiring inverted architectures. Here we show an antigravity confined interfacial self-assembly approach based on a liquid-liquid interface formed between hydrophilic and hydrophobic porous membranes, where capillary forces suppress gravitational effects to enable precise molecular organization. Experimental data, supported by quantum chemistry, density functional theory, and Fick’s first law, demonstrate that capillary forces enhance local concentration and interaction probability, yielding highly ordered, stable nanofilms. Our approach achieves a 17-fold increase in film area than gravity-limited methods and a 109-fold improvement over unconfined techniques. These nanofilms exhibit the stability and mechanical property, showing promise for green enhanced oil recovery and multifunctional material development. Furthermore, our strategy offers a paradigm for nanofilm mechanical characterization, paving the way for future advances in the design and application of nanomaterials.
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The data supporting the findings of this study are available within this article and its Supplementary Information. Source data are provided with this paper. All data are available from the corresponding author upon request. Source data are provided with this paper.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52025132, U24A20205, 21621091, 22021001, 22121001 awarded to X.H., No. 52303350 awarded to Y.F., and No. 52304027 awarded to G.L.), the China National Quality Infrastructure System (NQI) Key Scientific and Technological Project (No. 2023YFF0614100-01 awarded to Z.H.Z.), the 111 Project (Nos. B17027 and B16029 awarded to X.H.), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (No. 2022J02059 awarded to X.H. and No. 2024J08037 awarded to J.M.L.), the Scientific Research and Technology Development Projects of PetroChina (Nos. 2021ZZ01 and 2023ZZ04 awarded to Z.H.Z.), and the New Cornerstone Science Foundation through the XPLORER PRIZE, awarded to X.H.
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X.H. conceived the project. X.H., J.M.L., Z.H.Z., and W.F.L. designed the research. J.M.L., Z.Y.Z., G.L., and S.J.Y. performed the experiments. J.M.L., Y.Y.C., and X.H. designed and analyzed the theoretical model. J.M.L., X.Z., Y.F., and X.H. designed the devices for the applications. Z.H.Z., J.M.L., G.L., Q.Z., L.H., N.H.J., B.Z., and W.F.L. designed and analyzed the applications. J.M.L., X.H, and Z.H.Z. wrote the manuscript. All authors edited, read, and approved the manuscript.
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Zhou, Z., Lei, J., Zhang, Z. et al. Antigravity confined interfacial self-assembly approach for the synthesis and characterization of nanofilms. Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68447-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68447-8
