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bioRxiv · 10.1101/796268

Nanopatterned Thermoresponsive Functionalization of Substrates via Nanosphere Lithography

Mireles, M.·Soule, C. W.·Delgadillo, L. F.·Gaborski, T. R.
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Abstract

1Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been widely utilized as a way of tailoring surface chemistry through the adsorption of organic molecules to different materials. SAMs are easy to prepare and offer a wide variety of organic molecules that afford additional or improved properties to the coated material. Spatial control of SAM placement has been achieved over many length-scales, even at the nanoscale. However, nanopatterned SAMs are usually prepared through serial processes utilizing atomic scanning probes or soft-lithography utilizing elastomeric masters. These techniques are expensive or not repeatable. Here we present the use of nanospheres for the creation of nanopatterned Au:Cu films which spatially control the grafting of a thermoresponsive SAM made from poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM). Chemical characterization validates the presence of PNIPAM and environmental atomic force microscopy showed its response to temperature which was evidenced by a change in stiffness. Our approach represents an affordable large area methodology for repeatable spatial control of SAMs at the nanoscale.

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Mireles, M., Soule, C. W., Delgadillo, L. F., Gaborski, T. R.. 2019-10-07. Nanopatterned Thermoresponsive Functionalization of Substrates via Nanosphere Lithography. https://doi.org/10.1101/796268

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