Surface nanopatterning

Abstract

A method for producing, and a product having, a surface nanopattern, wherein the method comprises the steps of: obtaining a substrate with a smooth surface; acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein the precursor includes an inducible, usually photocatalytically, active region and a substrate attachment region; mixing a plurality of the self-assembling monolayer precursors with the substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising the inducible active regions and anchored to the substrate smooth surface by the substrate attachment regions; obtaining a path-directable nanoparticle; contacting the path-directable nanoparticle with the exposed surface at an interface area; exposing the exposed surface contacted with the path-directable nanoparticle to an inducing event, usually exposure to light, thereby chemically altering the inducible active regions and producing a detectable state in the interface area on the exposed surface; and applying a force of variable magnitude and direction in the plane of the surface to the contacted path-directable nanoparticle to produce movement of the contacted nanoparticle over the exposed surface thereby extending the detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over the exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.

1 . A product having a surface with a nanopattern generated by a process comprising the steps:
 a) obtaining a substrate with a smooth surface;   b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes an inducible active region and a substrate attachment region;   c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said inducible active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions;   d) obtaining a path-directable nanoparticle;   e) contacting said path-directable nanoparticle with said exposed surface at an interface area;   f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said path-directable nanoparticle to an inducing event thereby altering said inducible active regions and producing a detectable state at said interface area on said exposed surface; and   g) applying a force to said contacted path-directable nanoparticle to produce movement of said nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.   
     
     
         2 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said inducible active region comprises a photocatalytically active region. 
     
     
         3 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said path-directable nanoparticle comprises a charged nanoparticle. 
     
     
         4 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said atomically smooth surface is present on a material selected from a group consisting of gold and a silicon containing compound. 
     
     
         5 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said self-assembling monolayer precursor is an organic compound. 
     
     
         6 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 2 , wherein each said photocatalytically active region is selected from a group consisting of an azide moiety, a carboxylic acid moiety, a diazoketone moiety, and an aromatic nitro-containing moiety. 
     
     
         7 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein each said substrate attachment region comprises a terminal attachment species and a plurality of methylenes. 
     
     
         8 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 7 , wherein said terminal attachment species is selected from a group consisting of an unsaturated moiety and a sulfur containing moiety. 
     
     
         9 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 2 , wherein said charged nanoparticle is selected from a group consisting of CdS compounds and CdSe compounds. 
     
     
         10 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 2 , wherein said charged nanoparticle is selected from a group consisting of protonated amine CdS compounds and protonated amine CdSe compounds. 
     
     
         11 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said inducible alteration is a photocatalytic alteration and is selected from a group consisting of photoreduction of an azide, photodecarbozylation of a carboxylic acid, photodenitrogenation and Wolff rearrangement of a diazoketone, and the photoreduction of an aromatic nitrocompound. 
     
     
         12 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said applied force is a user-directed electrophoretic field of variable strength and direction. 
     
     
         13 . A surface nanopattern product generated according to  claim 1 , wherein said detectable state is selected from a group consisting of an amine generated by the photoreduction of an azide, a methyl generated by the photodecarboxylation of a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic acid generated by the photodenitrogenation and Wolff rearrangement of a diazoketone, and an amine generated by the photoreduction of an aromatic nitrocompound.