Template stripping

Hegner M, Wagner P, Semenza G. Ultralarge Atomically Flat Template-Stripped Au Surfaces For Scanning Probe Microscopy. Surf Sci. 1993 291(l-2) 39-46. 

Template-stripping Technique as Another Route for Preparation of Flat Cold Substrates This technique, first reported by Hegner et ah, has been developed as an improved method for preparing a widely flat gold surface on mica [164, 165]. The basic idea is to use the first deposited gold layer directly in contact with the... 

Fig. 2 Typical preparation procedures of template-stripped gold surfaces supported (a) by a piece of silicon wafer and (b) by a glass coverslip [165].

In this paper we report the application of the pCP technique to a functionalized alkanedisulphide - 11,11 -dithio-bis(succinimidyl-undecanoate) (DSU). We also describe a strategy for rendering etched silicon/gold structures accessible to this reactive crosslinker SAM. We subsequently present the site-specific immobilization of proteins onto such surfaces (Fig. 1) demonstrating the retained functionality of the immobilized protein. The atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to image the immobilized proteins and to determine their amount and spatial distribution on the patterned, template-stripped gold (TSG) surface. 

Figure 2 Immobilization of proteins on ultraflat Au(lll) a patterned network of collagen V single molecules covalently immobilized on a DSU monolayer. Due to the very low roughness of the ultraflat, template-stripped gold surface, the molecular structure of the immobilized proteins can be resolved over large areas. Inset the same surface at 18 x lower magnification. Bar = l/mn.

Wagner, R Hegner, M. Giintherodt, H.-J. Semenza, G. 1995. Formation and in situ modification of monolayers chemisorbed on ultraflat template-stripped gold surfaces. Langmuir 1995 3867-3875. 

The use of molecularly smooth mica surfaces is a conceptual strength of the SFA. At the same time, it is a severe limitation since it is the only surface that can be directly studied. There have heen several approaches to overcome this limitation and allow the use of different surfaces. Evaporation of thin metal layers onto mica leads to increased roughness of the surfaces even when template stripping [192-194] is used. Most simple, but less controlled, is surface modification by adsorption, preferentially, of molecules that self-assemhle into monomolecular layers. Alternatively, chemical modification of the mica surfaces hy silanes can be achieved. Finally, mica can be... 

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