Selective functionalization of arbitrary nanowires

We report the selective functionalization of uniform and heterostructured nanowires with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The wires were grown electrochemically in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Selective deposition and removal of SAMs during nanowire growth permits the decoration of specific regions of the surface along the length of the nanowires. This technique presents a facile method for the tailored functionalization of nanowires, but does not rely on the intrinsic chemical properties of the nanowires as previous methods have.