Temporal stability of photothermally fabricated micropatterns in supported phospholipid multilayers

Abstract

The temporal stability of photothermally fabricated micropatterns in multilayered films of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate on surface-oxidized silicon substrates is investigated. Multilayered films are fabricated via spin coating of diluted phospholipid solutions. A focused beam of an Ar+ laser at λ=514nm and a 1∕e2 spot diameter of 2.5μm is used to locally remove the coating and fabricate micropatterns. Subsequently, the temporal stability of such patterns at ambient conditions in air and in water is examined using optical microscopy. Generally, these patterns are stable on a time scale of several hours to days, both in air and in water, and hence provide sufficient time for most follow-on experiments. The spin-coated phospholipid films, though, are intrinsically unstable in water. In particular, some hours after immersion in water, dewetting of the film starts to set in. The implications of these results for potential applications are discussed.