Patterning self-assembled monolayers

The understandings and applications of self-assembly have evolved significantly since the adsorption of n-alkyldisulfides on gold surfaces was first reported. The desire to produce features on surfaces that are placed in controlled proximity has driven study in both the chemistries and methodologies of their production. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are found in applications such as molecular and biomolecular recognition, lithography resists, sensing and electrode modification, corrosion prevention, and other areas where tailoring the physicochemical properties of an interface is required. Patterned SAMs, in which specific self-assembling components have a deliberate spatial distribution on the surface (planar or otherwise), are generated to fabricate sophisticated nanoscale architectures and to provide well-characterized supports for physicochemical and biochemical processes. It is possible to introduce patterned features into both SAMs and the substrates that support them as the parameters controlling SAM formation and dynamics are better understood. As these structures are not at equilibrium once formed, one can manipulate the monolayer both during and after its formation by means of thermal, chemical, and electrochemical processing, exposure to controlled energetic beams, and scanning probe microscopes.