Interfacial molecular assembly and surface patterning

Based on a brief review of the traditional surface patterning research, this article introduces the recent progress in the research on surface patterning via molecular self-assembly. Because the size scale of molecular self-assemblies is in the range of 1–100 nm, the method of molecular self-assembly can easily lead to the construction of ordered structures in nanometer scale, and thus break through the size limit of traditional lithography. Some novel ways of molecular self-assembly for surface patterning are particularly introduced in this review, including supramolecular architecture at interface, chemisorption of dendron thoils, and surface aggregation of bolaform amphiphiles. Provided that we know more and more about the basic principles governing the surface morphology, it is believed that interfacial molecular assembly would be a very competitive supramolecular technique, and a potential application in many fields such as surface property adjustment, organic patterned devices, surface molecular recognition, and combinatorial chemistry is greatly anticipated.