Maskless, Reusable Visible-Light Direct-Write Stamp for Microscale Surface Patterning.

We report a straightforward method for creating large-area, microscale resolution patterns of functional amines on self-assembled monolayers by the photoinduced local acidification of a flat elastomeric stamp enriched with photoacid. The limited diffusivity of the photoactivated merocyanine acid in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) enabled to confine efficient deprotection of --butyloxycarbonyl amino group (-Boc) to line widths below 10 μm. The experimental setup is very simple and is built around the conventional HD-DVD optical pickup.

Determination of the Mechanical Properties of Model Lipid Bilayers Using Atomic Force Microscopy Indentation.

By conducting a systematic study of model lipid membranes using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation, we demonstrate the importance of an experimental protocol on the determination of their mechanical parameters. We refine the experimental approach by analyzing the influence of the contact mechanics models used to process the data, substrate preparation, and indenter geometry. We show that both bending rigidity and area compressibility can be determined from a single AFM indentation measurement.