Figure 1.

Nanolithography with a color-switchable fluorescent supramolecular polymer resist. (a) The chemical structure of the UPy–OPV–UPy building block is shown, with the excimer-forming fluorescent OPV core and the supramolecular UPy binding motifs highlighted. (b) Fluorescence spectra of a bulk sample of UPy–OPV–UPy at 180 and 25 °C. The inset shows pictures of the fluorescing sample under UV illumination. (c) Schematic representation of the single-step fabrication of multicolor patterns using thermal scanning probe lithography. (d) Illustration of the polymer film topography and molecular assembly, with the OPV cores aggregated in excimer-forming stacks and the UPy binding motifs dimerized. (e) Indentation with a hot t-SPL probe locally liquefies the material and disassembles the building blocks, which results in a green fluorescence. (f) Upon rapid probe removal, the high-temperature state is quenched so that a green fluorescing area is retained.