Strong Resistance to Bending Observed for Nanoparticle Membranes

We demonstrate how gold nanopartide monolayers can be curled up into hollow scrolls that make it possible to extract both bending and stretching moduli from indentation by atomic force microscopy. We find a bending modulus that is 2 orders of magnitude larger than predicted by standard continuum elasticity, an enhancement we associate with nonlocal microstructural constraints. This finding opens up new opportunities for independent control of resistance to bending and stretching at the nanoscale.