Site-selective patterning using surfactant-based resists.

Patterned SAMs of alkanethiols on gold or silver are explored as resists for electrodeposition and exhibit surprisingly rich behavior depending on the overpotential and the length of the alkane chain. At small overpotentials, SAMs are positive resists with deposition only in the surfactant-free regions. At larger overpotentials, SAMs are negative resists with preferential deposition in the SAM-modified regions. Tunable surfactant-based resists are potentially versatile tools to dictate the deposition of materials and are demonstrated as a means of creating complex, three-dimensional structures.