Direct patterning of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) thin films using microcontact printing

This Letter describes a convenient means of direct patterning of conjugated polymers on solid substrates by microcontact printing. An amine-containing poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) was synthesized and printed onto the surface with the SAMs terminating in interchain carboxylic anhydrides. Well-defined PPV micropatterns were characterized by atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The interaction between the polymer thin films and the surface was analyzed by grazing angle infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The formation of covalent bonds via amidation renders great stability of the resulting functional patterns.