Self-assembly of flat sheets into closed surfaces

A recent experiment [Boncheva Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 3924 (2005)] introduced the possibility of initiating the self-assembly of a three-dimensional structure from a flat elastic sheet. The ultimate utility of this method for assembly depends on whether it leads to incorrect, metastable structures. Here we examine how the number of metastable states depends on the sheet shape and thickness. Using simulations and theory, we identify out-of-plane buckling as the key event leading to metastability. The buckling strain that arises from joining edges of a planar sheet can be estimated using the theory of dislocations in elastic media. The number of metastable states increases rapidly with increasing variability in the boundary curvature and decreasing sheet thickness.