Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Chain entanglements enable regeneration of high-performance thermosets.

Nature materials·2026

Same author

A miniaturized implantable electrochemical platform for continuous monitoring of metabolites in deep tissue.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Mechanistic Origins of Polydicyclopentadiene Oxidation.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Same author

Ultrasound-driven mechanophore activation in living plants.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Single-Molecule Electron Transport in Peptoids.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026

Same author

Aromatic Amide Foldamers Show Conformation-Dependent Electronic Properties.

Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry·2025

Same journal

Sodium-Based Battery Component Design: Imitating Lithium or Forging New Paths?

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

Enhancing Birefringence of Sulphates by Polarity Modification in Planar Cations.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

In Situ Atomic-Scale Observation of Preferential Premelting at Oxide Crystal Defects.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

Thickness-Dependent Semiconductor-Metal Transition in Two-Dimensional Nonlayered Magnetic CuCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

Programmable Control Over Radical and Non‑Radical Pathways in Fenton‑Like Catalysis via Carbon‑Encapsulated Iron Nanoreactors.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same journal

Self-Powered MXene@Perovskite Thermoelectric Skin for Multimodal Mid-Infrared Sensing and Human Signal Recognition.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Published on: April 3, 2020

Programmable chemical gradient patterns by soft grayscale lithography.

Audrey M Bowen¹, Joshua A Ritchey, Jeffrey S Moore

¹Department of Chemistry, Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)

|October 15, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fabricating chemical gradients on surfaces is now possible using grayscale lithography and photocleavable monolayers. This method precisely controls surface properties for diverse applications, including microfluidic devices.

More Related Videos

Soft Lithographic Functionalization and Patterning Oxide-free Silicon and Germanium

Soft Lithographic Functionalization and Patterning Oxide-free Silicon and Germanium

Published on: December 16, 2011

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Simple Lithography-Free Single Cell Micropatterning using Laser-Cut Stencils

Published on: April 3, 2020

Soft Lithographic Functionalization and Patterning Oxide-free Silicon and Germanium

Soft Lithographic Functionalization and Patterning Oxide-free Silicon and Germanium

Published on: December 16, 2011

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Surface Chemistry
Microfabrication

Background:

Chemical gradients are crucial for controlling cell behavior and fabricating advanced materials.
Existing methods for creating chemical gradients often lack precision or flexibility.
Developing novel techniques for programmable surface modification is essential for scientific advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

To report a new method for fabricating chemical gradients on various substrates using grayscale lithography.
To demonstrate the versatility of this technique for creating patterned surfaces with controlled properties.
To showcase potential applications in microfluidics and surface-based assays.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of compliant grayscale amplitude masks using a vacuum-assisted microfluidic filling protocol with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) emulsions.
Utilizing a hydrophobic coumarin-based photocleavable monolayer on substrates.
Modulating UV light intensity through the grayscale mask to control photocleavage and create molecular-level grayscale patterns.
Characterization of patterned surfaces using condensation microscopy and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS).

Main Results:

Successfully fabricated chemical gradients on planar and nonplanar substrates with controlled spatial patterns.
Demonstrated precise control over surface properties, including contact angle and chemical functionalization.
Proof-of-concept applications showcased a passive pressure-sensitive microfluidic gating system and patterned deposition of moieties with complementary chemistry.

Conclusions:

The reported grayscale lithography method offers a programmable and flexible approach for fabricating chemical gradients.
This technique enables explicit engineering of surface properties for tailored applications.
The demonstrated control over molecular-level patterning opens new avenues for surface modification and device design.