Patterning and characterization of surfaces with organic and biological molecules by the scanning electrochemical microscope

A novel approach for micropatterning of surfaces with organic and biologica l microstructures using the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) is d escribed. The approach is based on the introduction of the spatial resoluti on by local deposition of gold particles followed by monolayer formation an d functionalization. Specifically, gold patterns were deposited locally on silicon wafers with the SECM as a result of the controlled anodic dissoluti on of a gold microelectrode. The gold patterns were further used as microsu bstrates for assembling cystamine monolayers to which either fluoresceine i sothiocyanate (FIT) or glucose oxidase (GOD) were covalently attached. Char acterization of the organic monolayers, as well as the biological activity of the enzyme patterns, was carried out by fluorescence microscopy and the SECM, respectively.