One-Step Nanoscale Assembly

Filed in archive Research on August 7, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Paul Mckeown

Nanotechnology researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a one-step, repeatable way to produce nanoscale patterns using a single master plate. They used a flexible polymer material called polydimethylsiloxane or PDMS. According to assistant professor Shu Yang in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, this technology could benefit other technologies such as smart clothing and biomarkers. The study was published in the journal Nano Letters and was conducted by members of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter at Penn. Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation MRSEC Program and an NSF Career Award bestowed upon Yang.