  We measure Young's modulus of a free polyelectrolyte multilayer film by
studying osmotically induced swelling of polyelectrolyte multilayer
microcapsules filled with the polyelectrolyte solution. Different filling
techniques and core templates were used for the capsule preparation. Varying
the concentration of the polyelectrolyte inside the capsule, its radius and the
shell thickness yielded an estimate of an upper limit for Young's modulus of
the order of 100 MPa. This corresponds to an elastomer and reflects strong
interactions between polyanions and polycations in the multilayer.
