On-Tip Photo-Modulated Molecular Printing.
The concept of using cantilever-free scanning probe arrays as structures that can modulate nanoscale ink flow and composition with light is introduced and evaluated. By utilizing polymer pen arrays with an opaque gold layer surrounding the base of the transparent polymer pyramids, we show that inks with photopolymerizable or isomerizable constituents can be used in conjunction with light channelled through the pyramids to control ink viscosity or composition in a dynamic manner. This on-tip photo-modulated molecular printing provides novel chemically and mechanically controlled approaches to regulating ink transport and composition in real time and could be useful not only for rapidly adjusting feature size but also for studying processes including photoreactions and mass transport at the nanoscale, self-assembly, and cell-material interactions.
Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).|Nanotechnology Center, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR (China).
Zhuang
Z
Xie
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
Yu
Y
Zhou
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
James L
JL
Hedrick
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
Peng-Cheng
PC
Chen
Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
Shu
S
He
Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
Mohammad M
MM
Shahjamali
Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA).
Shunzhi
S
Wang
Nanotechnology Center, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR (China). tczzheng@polyu.edu.hk.
Zijian
Z
Zheng
Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA). chadnano@northwestern.edu.|Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA). chadnano@northwestern.edu.|Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 (USA). chadnano@northwestern.edu.
Chad A
CA
Mirkin
molecular printing; photochemistry; photocontrol; polymer pen lithography; scanning probe lithography