Phase controllable transfer printing of patterned polyelectrolyte multilayers

We introduce a simple and robust method for varying the phase of the patterns in transfer printing of polyelectrolyte multilayers. Simply transferred positive patterns, edge-defined intermediate patterns, and negatively engraved patterns were obtained by manipulating the capillarity of the plasticized polymeric layer from weak to strong. A phase diagram of the pattern transfer was suggested to account for the influences of the temporal and spatial factors in the experiments. In addition, the main role of adhesion at the interfaces in the successful realization of multilayer transfer printing was investigated. It is anticipated that the strategy and ability to control the phase of the patterns transferred may offer a variety of opportunities for functional devices in optics, organic electronics, membranes, and microfluidics.