Liquid Origami and the Six-Pointed Star

This striking behavior arises because the droplet surface freezes into a thin crystalline nano-shell that bends like a tiny hexagonal pita (a pocket-like flatbread), adopting a six-pointed star profile upon inflation of its interior, or shinking of its surface. Unlike conventional origami, where folding occurs along fixed crease lines, the folds of the inflating hexapita are mobile : they slide across the interface as the droplet deforms, continuously reshaping the star. The resulting hexagram, a symbol shared across cultures, emerges from the interplay of interfacial thermodynamics, geometry, topology, and elasticity. By revealing this nanoscale, mobile-fold origami mechanism, the work opens new routes for designing complex-shaped colloids and nanoparticles. It suggests that similar folding principles may operate in biological systems, playing role in morphogenesis of complex organisms, such as six-pointed star-like bacteria, and beyond.

For more information, have a look at:

• the scientific article in Physical Review Letters,
• the science outreach articles published in Physics Magazine, Chemical & Engineering News, Phys.org, EurekAlert!, Scienmag, Bioengineer.org, The Silicon Review & Life Technology.