Stabilizing liquid drops of arbitrary shape by the interfacial jamming of nanoparticles

A method for preparing a stabilized assembly, the method comprising,

• suspending a first liquid phase in a second liquid phase, wherein the first phase and the second phase are immiscible, and wherein the first phase comprises nanoparticles;
• dissolving an end-functionalized polymer in the second phase, wherein the polymer and the nanoparticles can interact at an interface through ligand type interactions to form nanoparticle surfactants;
• applying an external deformation field;
• and
• releasing the external deformation field;
• wherein applying the deformation field increases the surface area of the first phase to create a new interface;
• wherein the nanoparticle surfactants form a disordered, jammed assembly at the new interface;
• wherein upon releasing the external deformation field the jammed assembly at the new interface traps the first phase in a deformed state;
• and
• wherein the deformed state has a shape that is non-spherical.