Columbia University

Feng Pan

Jeffrey T Koberstein

Peng Wang

Kwangjoo Lee

The invention is directed to methods for coating monolayer films of surface-active polymers onto substrates of arbitrary shape, and molecular-based methods and processes to control the chemical and physical nature of surfaces and interfaces. The invention is also directed to methods for modifying a surface of a monolayer comprising a) coating a monolayer on a substrate, wherein the monolayer is formed by self-assembly of end-surfactant molecules, thereby positioning a photoactive functional group at the air-monolayer interface; and b) exposing the monolayer to radiation, wherein each organic group of the monolayer contains a first functionality that is not converted to a second functionality upon exposure to acid.

Methods for modifying surfaces

A method for surface micropatterning includes forming on a surface containing a first polymer a first coating containing a second polymer having first functionalities capable of being converted to second functionalities by exposure to an acid. A second coating containing a photoacid generator is formed on the first coating. The second coating containing the photoacid generator is selectively irradiated in one or more regions thereof with radiation having a spatially varying internsity pattern to generate an acid in each irradiated region of the second coating. The acid converts the first functionalities of each region of the second polymer underlying a respective irradiated region of the second coating to second functionalities. A first molecular patterned surface having one or more regions of the first functionalities and one or more regions of the second functionalities is formed.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Feng Pan