Synthesis of polydopamine at the femtoliter scale and confined fabrication of Ag nanoparticles on surfacesElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, spectroscopic characterization and additional images. See DOI: 10.1039/c4cc02500h

Nanoscale polydopamine motifs are fabricated on surfaces by deposition of precursor femtolitre droplets using an AFM tip and employed as confined reactors to fabricate Ag nanoparticle patterns by in situ reduction of a Ag + salt. Polydopamine is synthesized in confined femtolitre sized droplets and used as green nanoreactors to fabricate Ag nanoparticles on surfaces.