Nanoscale patterns of dendrimers obtained by soft lithography using elastomeric stamps spontaneously structured by plasma treatment.

It is well established that polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps submitted to an adequate plasma treatment spontaneously develop an ordered surface roughness. In this work, we show that thin layers made of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers can be patterned at the nanoscale using these buckled PDMS stamps. The structures accurately reproduce the self-assembled waves observed on the stamp surface after plasma treatment. We discuss the involved transfer of molecules from the stamp to the surface, which relies on molding rather than on printing. Self-assembled networks of lines made of dendrimers with submicrometric pitch can therefore be produced using this process at very low cost without any advanced lithography method for generating hard molds.