Organized structures formation driven by interfacial instability at the three phase contact line: Langmuir-blodgett patterning

Surface patterning has become an important part in modern science and technology, especially in the areas of microelectronics, information processing and storage, nano/microfluidic devices, and biodetection. Therefore, fabrication and investigation of patterned surfaces are active areas of research in chemistry, materials science and engineering. Here we present a comprehensive summary on an unconventional fabrication paradigm, Langmuir-Blodgett/LB) patterning, for large-area patterning with mesostructured features based on interfacial instability at the three phase contact line. Thisstrategy uses a simple fabrication technique to control the alignment, size, shape, and periodicity of self-organized patterns of organic molecules and nanoparticles over areas of square centimeters. Furthermore, because of the anisotropicwetting behavior of the patterns, they can be used as templates to direct the self-assembly of functional molecules andnanocrystals. Moreover, patterns transferred by engraving the monolayer patterns into silicon substrate, creating topographical patterns, can be used to direct cell growth and migration.