Simultaneous mineralization and deposition of inorganic nanoparticles onto micropatterns with a...

We achieved simultaneous mineralization and patterning of inorganic nanoparticles on micropatterns using peptide as a linker and perfluoropolyether (PFPE) as a passivating molecule. The peptide was used as a linker molecule immobilizing inorganic nanoparticles on the substrate and PFPE was exploited as a mask material preventing nanoparticle binding. These two substances were used as surface-modifying molecules for the positive and negative patterns, respectively. On the patterned surface, mineralization and selective deposition of inorganic nanoparticles (such as TiO2 and Cu2S) were achieved by exploiting the characteristics of the surface-modifying molecules. The aqueous precursors of inorganic sources were mineralized to the nanoparticles, and the mineralized nanoparticles were bound directly to the peptide-decorated positive pattern, while their deposition on the negative pattern was repelled because of the low surface energy of PFPE. The nanoparticle-bound surface was identified by making a sandwich structure with a fluorescece-decorated peptide and observing the surface topology. The nanoparticle layers retained their inherent electrical properties, suggesting potential applications in micro device fabrication. This study demonstrates that selective deposition of metallic and inorganic nanoparticles can be achieved with the use of PFPE and reactive peptides while keeping the original characteristics of the nanoparticles.