Microcontact printing via a polymer-induced liquid-precursor (PILP) process

Our biomimetic approach for patterned crystallization is based on the combination of the Micro-Contact Printing technique and a novel mineralization process, called the Polymer-Induced-Liquid-Precursor (PILP) process, which enables the deposition of mineral films under low-temperature and aqueous-based conditions. We demonstrate that a liquid-phase mineral precursor is deposited onto specific areas templated with self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiolate on gold, and then the patterned calcitic films grow under constrained conditions via transformation of the PILP phase, leading to control over the location and morphology of calcitic films.