William Montes and Thomas C. Marsh, University of St. Thomas, Dept. of Chemistry
The Nano eNabler (NeN) is a versatile micro/nano-scale printing tool for creating arrays of materials with high precision and accuracy. An open channel microfluidic device is used to deliver very small volumes of solution to a surface. The majority of current applications for the NeN are focused on creating patterns of water-soluble polymers, biomolecules, viral particles and living cells on various surfaces. In order to use the NeN for creating arrays of non-polar molecules, a suitable solvent with low vapor pressure is required. This work describes the development of a sample preparation method and instrument parameters that enable printing arrays of polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) onto substrates such as SiO2, Au, Mica and Indium Tin Oxide.
