Micropatterning of Ag and Au Nanoparticles by Microcontact Printing and Block Copolymer Micelles

Micropatterns of gold and silver nanoparticles were successfully obtained by combining microcontact printing and poly(2-vinylpyridine)-block-poly(cyclohexyl metharylate) (P2VP-b-PCHMA) diblock copolymer micelles with metal precursors. The metal ions were incorporated into poly(2-vinylpyridine) blocks and located into the core area of micelles. Then the metal-loaded micellar solutions were used as inks which were spin coated as thin layers onto polydimethylsiloxane stamps and transferred onto the substrates by stamping. Different morphologies of micellar aggregates were formed on the substrates depending on the stamp morphologies, and single layers of nanoparticles in the micropattern were obtained by the reducing process.