Submerged microcontact printing (SmuCP): an unconventional printing technique of thiols using high aspect ratio, elastomeric stamps.
A technique for microcontact printing of thiols in liquid media is presented. Elastomeric poly(dimethyl siloxane) stamps are used to pattern gold surfaces with thiol-based self-assembled monolayers. The liquid (water in this case) has been used as an incompressible support and, advantageously, also acts as a medium in which alkylthiol ink molecules are poorly miscible. Consequently, we have been able to produce patterned thiol monolayers using stamps with aspect ratios unsuitable for conventional microcontact printing (i.e., 15:1) and present evidence to suggest that it is possible to use stamps with aspect ratios of up to 100:1.
Bessueille
François
F
Laboratory of Nanobioengineering (CREBEC), Barcelona Science Park, Josep Samitier 1-5, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Pla-Roca
Mateu
M
Mills
Christopher A
CA
Martinez
Elena
E
Samitier
Josep
J
Errachid
Abdelhamid
A