Photocatalytic Nanosheet Lithography: Photolithography based on Organically Modified Photoactive 2D Nanosheets.

Abstract

Harvesting the properties of nanosheets is not only crucial from a fundamental perspective, but also for the development of novel functional devices based on 2D nanosheets. Herein, we demonstrate the processing of organically modified TBAx H1-x Ca2 Nb3 O10 nanosheets into photonic thin films and study their colorimetric sensing properties in response to various aqueous and organic solvent vapors. Building on the enhanced solvent accessibility of TBA-containing nanosheets and their photocatalytic activity under UV irradiation, we develop a new concept for photocatalytic lithography using TBAx H1-x Ca2 Nb3 O10 nanosheets as a negative photoresist to obtain high-fidelity micron-scale patterns of robust inorganic nanosheets. Photocatalytic nanosheet lithography (PNL) therefore adds a new resist-free, resource efficient direct patterning technique to the toolbox of photolithography.