Encoded and enzyme-activated nanolithography of gold and magnetic nanoparticles on silicon

A C18 monolayer-functionalized Si surface is electrochemically patterned to yield a carboxylic acid-terminated pattern. Tyramine is covalently linked to the pattern to yield an encoded nanostructure for the enzyme tyrosinase. The biocatalytic oxidation of the tyramine residues yields catechol moieties that control the assembly of boronic acid-functionalized Au nanoparticles (NPs) or magnetic NPs. The different NPs are linked to the patterns by the formation of complexes between the boronic acid residues or Fe3+ ions and the catechol ligands.