Spatially resolved acyl transfer on surface by organo-catalytic scanning probe nanolithography (o-cSPL)

Chem Sci. 2018 Apr 16;9(18):4280-4284. doi: 10.1039/c8sc00294k. eCollection 2018 May 14.

Abstract

Groundbreaking research done in the area of nanolithography makes it a versatile tool to produce nanopatterns for a broad range of chemical surface functionalization or physical modifications. We report for the first time an organocatalytic scanning probe nanolithography (o-cSPL) approach. Covalent binding of an organocatalyst on the apex of an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip gives way to a system that allows the formation of locally defined acylated-alcohol patterns on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). With resolutions comparable to those of other cSPL methods, this first example of o-cSPL holds promise for future applications of bottom-up nanolithography set-ups employing this novel technique.