Stamping of monomeric SAMs as a route to structured crystallization templates: Patterned titania films

Gold-coated glass slides have be patterned by using self-assembled monolaye rs (SAM) of alkane thiols. Through the use of a special thiol terminated wi th a styrene monomer, microstructures of 5 to 10 mum width and 70 Angstrom, height have been formed on the surface by graft polymerization of styrene. These patterned gold slides have then been used to template the precipitat ion of thin titania films from ethanolic solutions of titanium isopropoxide to create microstructured architectures in the film. Plasmon resonance spe ctra have established the presence of different steps in the process and ha ve been used to follow the kinetics of the precipitation of titania on the surface. The structured TiO2 films have been characterized by scanning elec tron microscopy.