Langmuir, Vol.22, No.23, 9770-9775, 2006
Controlling the supramolecular assembly of redox-active dendrimers at molecular printboards by scanning electrochemical microscopy
Redox-active ferrocenyl (Fc)-functionalized poly( propylenimine) (PPI) dendrimers solubilized in aqueous media by complexation of the Fc end groups with beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD) were immobilized at monolayers of beta CD on glass ("molecular printboards") via multiple host-guest interactions. The directed immobilization of the third-generation dendrimer-beta CD assembly G3-PPI-(Fc)(16)-(beta CD)(16) at the printboard was achieved by supramolecular microcontact printing. The redox activity of the patterned dendrimers was mapped by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in the positive feedback mode using [IrCl6](3-) as a mediator. Local oxidation of the Fc-dendrimers by the microelectrode-generated [IrCl6](2-) resulted in an effective removal of the Fc-dendrimers from the host surface since the oxidation of Fc to the oxidized form (Fc(+)) leads to a concomitant loss of affinity for, CD. Thus, SECM provided a way not only to image the surface, but also to control the binding of the Fc-terminated dendrimers at the molecular printboard. Additionally, the electrochemical desorption process could be monitored in time as the dendrimer patterns were gradually erased upon multiple scans.