“We are convinced that the concept of molecular printboards, their tunable binding properties, is here to stay...”

The paper describes a nice, new concept, that is: a versatile interface chemistry using supramolecular interactions, with which it becomes possible to fine-tune thermodynamic and kinetic properties of adsorption and desorption processes. We have called it "molecular printboards" because these surfaces resemble regular printboards: you can "plug and play" molecules, biomolecules, and even particles onto such substrates at any predetermined location of the surface with tunable and accurately known interface energies.

Basically it is both: it is a discovery because of the fact that we can attach molecules even with only a small number of fairly weak interactions and obtain stable complexes at interfaces, and it is a new methodology because it can be easily adapted to all kinds of surfaces using all kinds of adsorbing entities—these being molecules, polymers, dendrimers, biomolecules, and nanoparticles. It can even be extended to materials buildup (see JACS 127: 7594, 2005) and external stimuli can be implemented for control (JACS 126: 12266, 2004). In all cases, the binding thermodynamics and kinetics is well-defined and can be controlled at will by playing with the underlying concept of multivalency (JACS 126: 6784, 2004 & OBC 2: 3409, 2004).

The most important feature is that one can assemble molecules and other molecular entities on surfaces without hard-to-control covalent chemistry. Basically, one relies on self-assembly and its inherent self-correction mechanisms to obtain binding and order. Resulting from that is that we now can position and study molecules, even individual ones, at any desired position of a surface without having to covalently attach them.

We got into this from the supramolecular chemistry area using cyclodextrins and from the self-assembled monolayer area. The main conceptual breakthrough arose when we realized that these substrates could not only function as (rapidly reversible) sensor surfaces, but even as (thermodynamically and/or kinetically stable) construction platforms, hence the term "molecular printboards."

We are convinced that the concept of molecular printboards—their tunable binding properties—is here to stay, and will exert an influence on various fields, such as materials science, biochemistry, diagnostic arrays, nanofabrication, and supramolecular chemistry.