Grafting a homogeneous transition metal catalyst onto a silicon AFM probe: a promising strategy for chemically constructive nanolithography

Abstract

We report a novel approach to chemically selective lithography using an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe with immobilized homogeneous catalyst, potentially giving access to diverse nanoscale transformations of the surface-bound functional groups. This new concept was proven for the local epoxidation of an alkene-terminated self-assembled monolayer on silicon using H2O2 as an oxidant and a catalytic silicon AFM tip charged with manganese complexes with 1,3,7-triazacyclononane type ligands.