A cantilever-free approach to dot-matrix nanoprinting.

Scanning probe lithography (SPL) is a promising candidate approach for desktop nanofabrication, but trade-offs in throughput, cost, and resolution have limited its application. The recent development of cantilever-free scanning probe arrays has allowed researchers to define nanoscale patterns in a low-cost and high-resolution format, but with the limitation that these are duplication tools where each probe in the array creates a copy of a single pattern. Here, we report a cantilever-free SPL architecture that can generate 100 nanometer-scale molecular features using a 2D array of independently actuated probes. To physically actuate a probe, local heating is used to thermally expand the elastomeric film beneath a single probe, bringing it into contact with the patterning surface. Not only is this architecture simple and scalable, but it addresses fundamental limitations of 2D SPL by allowing one to compensate for unavoidable imperfections in the system. This cantilever-free dot-matrix nanoprinting will enable the construction of surfaces with chemical functionality that is tuned across the nano- and macroscales.

Positionally defined, binary semiconductor nanoparticles synthesized by scanning probe block copolymer lithography.

We report the first method for synthesizing binary semiconductor materials by scanning probe block copolymer lithography (SPBCL) in desired locations on a surface. In this work, we utilize SPBCL to create polymer features containing a desired amount of Cd(2+), which is defined by the feature volume. When they are subsequently reacted in H(2)S in the vapor phase, a single CdS nanoparticle is formed in each block copolymer (BCP) feature. The CdS nanoparticles were shown to be both crystalline and luminescent. Importantly, the CdS nanoparticle sizes can be tuned since their diameters depend on the volume of the originally deposited BCP feature.

Combinatorial screening of mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and differentiation using polymer pen lithography.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex, spatially inhomogeneous environment that is host to myriad cell-receptor interactions that promote changes in cell behavior. These biological systems can be probed and simulated with engineered surfaces, but doing so demands careful control over the arrangement of ligands. Here, we describe how such surfaces can be fabricated by utilizing polymer pen lithography (PPL), which is a cantilever-free scanning probe lithographic method that utilizes polymeric pen arrays to generate patterns over large areas. With the advent of PPL, fundamental questions in cell biology can be answered by recapitulating cell-ECM interactions to explore how these interactions lead to changes in cell behavior. Here, we describe an approach for the combinatorial screening of cell adhesion behavior to gain understanding of how ECM protein feature size dictates osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. The technique outlined here is generalizable to other biological systems and can be paired with quantitative analytical methods to probe important processes such as cell polarization, proliferation, signaling, and differentiation.

Role of absorbed solvent in polymer pen lithography.

We report on the dynamic role of solvents in molecular printing and show that material transport can be mediated by both environmental solvent (i.e., humidity) and solvent absorbed in the pen. To explore the transport of materials in the absence of environmental solvent, a hydrophobic polymer was patterned using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pen array that had been soaked in undecane, a nonpolar solvent that readily absorbs into PDMS. We also explored the patterning of the hydrophilic polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) and found that, even though PDMS only absorbs trace amounts of water, soaking a PDMS pen array in water enables PEG deposition in completely dry environments for over 2 h. We find that the length of time one can pattern in a dry environment is determined by the availability of absorbed solvent, a relationship that we elucidate by comparing the performance of pens with varying ability to absorb water. Furthermore, a calculation accounting for the dynamics of retained water captures these effects completely, allowing for generalization of this result to other solvents and providing a way to tune the desired solvent retention profile. Taken together, this work explores the subtle and dynamic role of solvent on molecular printing and provides an alternative to strict environmental humidity control for reliable molecular printing.

Large-area molecular patterning with polymer pen lithography.

The challenge of constructing surfaces with nanostructured chemical functionality is central to many areas of biology and biotechnology. This protocol describes the steps required for performing molecular printing using polymer pen lithography (PPL), a cantilever-free scanning probe-based technique that can generate sub-100-nm molecular features in a massively parallel fashion. To illustrate how such molecular printing can be used for a variety of biologically relevant applications, we detail the fabrication of the lithographic apparatus and the deposition of two materials, an alkanethiol and a polymer onto a gold and silicon surface, respectively, and show how the present approach can be used to generate nanostructures composed of proteins and metals. Finally, we describe how PPL enables researchers to easily create combinatorial arrays of nanostructures, a powerful approach for high-throughput screening. A typical protocol for fabricating PPL arrays and printing with the arrays takes 48-72 h to complete, including two overnight waiting steps.

A methodology for preparing nanostructured biomolecular interfaces with high enzymatic activity.

The development of a novel method for functionalizing nanopatterned surfaces with catalytically active proteins is reported. This method involves using dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) and polymer pen lithography (PPL) to generate nanoscale patterns of coenzyme A, followed by a phosphopantetheinyl transferase-mediated coupling between coenzyme A and proteins fused to the ybbR-tag. By exploiting the ability to generate protein features over large areas afforded by DPN and PPL, it was now possible to measure protein activity directly on these surfaces. It was found that proteins immobilized on the nanoscale features not only display higher activity per area with decreasing feature size, but are also robust and can be used for repeated catalytic cycles. The immobilization method is applicable to a variety of proteins and gives rise to superior activity compared to proteins attached in random orientations on the surface.