Vacancy patterning and patterning vacancies: controlled self-assembly of fullerenes on metal surfaces

Vacancy patterning and patterning vacancies: controlled self-assembly of fullerenes on metal surfaces.

A density functional theory study accounting for van der Waals interactions reveals the potential of metal surface vacancies as anchor points for the construction of user-defined 2D patterns of adsorbate molecules via a controlled self-assembly process. Vice versa, energetic criteria indicate the formation of regular adsorbate-induced vacancies after adsorbate self-assembly on clean surfaces. T...

Molecular self-assembly of functionalized fullerenes on a metal surface.

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the self-assembly of C60 molecules functionalized with long alkane chains on the (111) surface of silver. We find that the conformation of the functionalized C60 changes upon adsorption on Ag(111) and that the unit cell size in the self-assembled monolayer is determined by the interactions between the functional groups. We show that C6...

Controlled mud-crack patterning and self-organized cracking of polydimethylsiloxane elastomer surfaces

Exploiting pattern formation - such as that observed in nature - in the context of micro/nanotechnology could have great benefits if coupled with the traditional top-down lithographic approach. Here, we demonstrate an original and simple method to produce unique, localized and controllable self-organised patterns on elastomeric films. A thin, brittle silica-like crust is formed on the surface o...

Macroscopic Patterning via Dynamic Self-assembly and Wrinkling Instability

Lithographic patterning on polydimethylsiloxane surfaces using polydimethylglutarimide.

We present a method for high fidelity lithographic patterning on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces employing traditional cleanroom equipment and commercially available materials that overcomes previous problems in PDMS processing. To illustrate this method, an electrostatically actuated microfluidic pump and rectangular diffraction gratings were fabricated on PDMS.