Microcontact printing of catalytic colloids

A method of depositing a metal on a surface, comprising:

• applying to the surface a catalytic colloidal activating agent of a first metal capable of promoting deposition of a second metal;
• and
• depositing, via a reaction involving the activating agent, the second metal at the surface in the form of a pathway delineating a pattern including at least one portion having a dimension parallel to the surface of less than one mm.

A method of applying to a substrate surface a chemical activating agent able to effect a chemical reaction, comprising:

• applying essentially instantaneously to a region of the surface having an area of at least 10 square microns a pattern of a catalytic chemical activating agent of a first metal in colloidal form able to effect a chemical reaction at the surface, the region being free of pretreatment that directs the pattern.

A method of depositing a metal on a surface, comprising:

• applying essentially instantaneously to a first region of a surface a pattern of a catalytic activating agent of a first metal capable of promoting deposition of a second metal while leaving a second region of the surface, contiguous with the first region, free of the activating agent, the first and second regions being free of pretreatment that directs the pattern;
• and
• depositing the metal, via a reaction involving the activating agent, at the first region of the surface.

An article comprising a surface and a metal pathway on the surface delineating a pattern on a first region of the surface, the pattern including at least one region defining a continuous essentially linear portion of a second metal deposited on the surface via reaction involving a catalytic activating agent of a first metal promoting deposition of the second metal transferred to the surface from an applicator, the linear portion of the second metal having a dimension parallel to the surface of less than about 1 mm.