Versatile Surface Patterning with Low Molecular Weight Photoswitches

Abstract Surface patterning of functional materials is a key technology in various fields such as microelectronics, optics, and photonics. In micro‐ and nanofabrication, polymers are frequently employed either as photoreactive or thermoresponsive resists that enable further fabrication steps, or as functional adlayers in electronic and optical devices. In this article, a method is presented for imprint lithography using low molecular weight arylazoisoxazoles photoswitches instead of polymer resists. These photoswitches exhibit a rapid and reversible solid‐to‐liquid phase transition upon photo‐isomerization at room temperature, making them highly suitable for reversible surface functionalization at ambient conditions. Beyond photo‐induced imprint lithography with multiple write‐and‐erase cycles, prospective applications as patterned matrix for nanoparticles and etch resist on gold surfaces are demonstrated.