Paper NS-ThA7
Fluid Handling using Scanning Probe Lithography for Nanocombinatorics

Thursday, October 24, 2019, 4:20 pm, Room A222

Scanning probes have been widely applied as characterization tools due to their high resolution and versatility. In parallel with the development of these capabilities, scanning probe lithography (SPL) has been advanced such that it is now capable of directly writing nanoscale domains of soft materials such as polymers, a capability that can be massively parallelized across centimeter scales through the use of cantilever-free scanning probe arrays. In this talk, we will discuss recent advances in the development of nanoscale fluid handling using scanning probes and describe how these advances allow for the realization of libraries for nanocombinatorial studies. Despite the utility of these approaches, operating with nanoscale domains of fluid raises interesting challenges in terms of managing capillary phenomena, evaporation, and deterministically directing fluid transfer. In order address these, we have performed a series of studies using atomic force microscopy to explore nanoscale fluid dynamics. After being written, polymer features can function as reactors for subsequent chemistry or as samples for further characterization. We explore the opportunities and challenges inherent to this class of experiment and highlight recent discoveries made using such libraries. While the majority of functional explorations using scanning probes center around use these instruments as characterization tools, the concept that scanning probes can also prepare combinatorial libraries is becoming increasingly common and providing new avenues for nanoscale science.