Patterning of Nanoclays on Positively Charged Self-Assembled Monolayers via Micromolding in Capillaries

Nanoclays are nanomaterials with versatile adsorptive properties. This contribution describes the generation of micropatterns of a nanoclay ("laponite") on ammonium-terminated, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on glass and silicon. Microstructured immobilization of the laponite was performed using micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC). The immobilization was verified using contact angle goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, laponite was modified with Nile red to generate a fluorescence enhancement-based surface sensor for the vitamin choline.