Chad A. Mirkin

Our research efforts have been focused on the design and synthesis of macrocyclic complexes based on the 'Weak-Link Approach' and their applications for recognition and separation technologies. Several important research discoveries have been made over the course of the project. A more thorough understanding of the fundamental parameters that control the formation of macrocyclic receptors formed via the Weak-Link Approach has been developed. In addition, novel hemilabile ligands that have used to form a new class of macrocycles referred to as 'molecular tweezers' have been designed. These structures can recognize molecule based on size, shape and the ability to form tt-stacking interactions. Using the Weak-Link Approach we have also synthesized a stable Rh(II) species, a set of chiral macrocyclic receptors and a series of heterobimetallic macrocyclic structures. This provides us with a library of compounds to investigate in future sensing applications. In the area of signal transduction, we have developed several fluorescent systems that utilize a new class of highly fluorescent ligands and Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). Their receptor and molecular sensing properties has been investigated.

This letter reports a contact sensing method for dip-pen nanolithography which functions by monitoring the conductivity between the lithography probe and the substrate. Experimental results show that this method has high sensitivity and is suitable for dip-pen nanolithography applications with large probe arrays.

Lattices of single polystyrene particles were constructed by using a combinatorial approach to analyze particle pattern recognition properties. Dip-pen nanolithography was used to generate chemical templates of 16-thiohexadecanoic acid on a gold surface to study the two-dimensional assembly of amine- and amidine-modified particles (see picture).