Drying-mediated self-assembly of ordered or hierarchically ordered micro- and sub-micro scale structures and their uses as multifunctional materials

A system for formation of micro- and sub-micro-sized ordered or hierarchically ordered structures comprising:

• a. a flat surface;
• b. a plurality of spaced apart spherical lenses on a moveable carriage;
• c. an injection printing mechanism adapted to deposit a plurality of solution droplets on the flat surface at positions corresponding to the spaced apart spherical shapes;
• d. a mechanism to translate the moveable carriage towards the flat surface;
• so that structures are concurrently formed on the flat surface in one step by placing the plurality of droplets of solution on the flat surface, bringing the spherical lenses into contact with the droplets during irreversible solvent evaporation at a controlled rate.

A method of forming concentric metal rings at a micro- or sub-micro-scale comprising:

• a. providing a substrate;
• b. forming a metal layer over the substrate;
• c. forming a set of concentric rings by irreversible solvent evaporation from a solution droplet placed on the metallized substrate wherein the droplet is confined by a spherical lens brought into contact with the droplet;
• d. removing the metal between the rings;
• e. removing the rings.

A method of forming structures by irreversible solvent evaporation comprising:

• a. confining the droplet by a spherical lens brought into contact with the droplet;
• b. controlling a parameter of the evaporation, the parameter comprising one or more of;
• i. concentration;
• ii. solvent;
• iii. molecular weight;
• iv. humidity;
• v. curvature of the spherical lens;
• or
• vi. surface chemistry comprising interfacial interaction between solute and substrate;
• and
• c. predicting one or more characteristics of the structures.