A Facile Method for Micropatterning of Gold Nanoparticles Immobilized on UV Cross-linked Polymer Thin Films

This report demonstrates the immobilization of uniformly sized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on UV cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) polymer thin films and the preparation of micropatterned structures of AuNPs on these films. The polymer thin films were prepared by a spin-coating of P4VP onto a cleaned silicon wafer surface. Upon UV irradiation, these films were then photo cross-linked. Gold nanoparticles were immobilized by immersing the polymer surface in a colloidal solution of gold nanoparticles stabilized by citric acid. The morphology of the films and the immobilization of AuNPs were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV-visible spectroscopic techniques. The micropatterned gold structures that were produced on the polymer surface are delineated by combining with the photolithographic method. While untreated and simply spin coated films were physisorbed and unstable that could be easily removed by rinsing with a solvent, the cross-linked and AuNPs immobilized P4VP films were found to be highly stable even after repeated solvent extractions.