Martin U. Pralle

Scaffolding of polymers by supramolecular nanoribbons

metallic structures with a height of 100 lm have been microfabricated and characterized. Photoactive nanocomposites have been formed using nanoparticles with covalently attached photoreducing dye molecules. These nanocomposites are active to both photon and electron-beam stimuli and yield continuous metallic structures. We believe that optical or electron-beam induced growth of nanoparticles provides a versatile new approach to the patterning of metal from the micrometer to the nanometer length scales in 2D and 3D. This approach may have applications in the fabrication of new types of structures, interconnects, and components in electronic, optical, and electromechanical devices.