Patterning surfaces with polymer local chemical

Since the SECM response is a function of the rate of the heterogeneous reaction at the substrate, it can be used to image the local chemical and electrochemical reactivity of surface features. A technique called reaction-rate imaging, which is unique to SECM, is particularly useful in imaging the areas on a surface where reactions occur. Membranes (5-7), leaves (8-10), polymers (11,12), surface films (13-17), and artificially patterned biological systems (7,18-20) have been imaged with SECM. 

Schematic principle of the SECM etching of surface-grafted ATRP initiators for surface patterning with polymer brushes (or negative transfer of polymer brush on a surface) and local interrogation by chemical amplification of the reactivity of surface-immobilized initiators. (Adapted from Slim, C., et al., Chem. Mater., 20,66T7-66 5,2008.)...

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