Metallic materials made to order

A new process for creating specifically patterned microstructures could lead to new catalysts and optoelectronic devices.

To make the materials, Rolf Hempelmann of Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, and his colleagues prepared tiny latex spheres made of the polymer polybutylacrylate, each with a diameter of about 200 nanometers and a negatively charged surface.