Abstract: Molecular self-assemblies on surfaces and their bottom-up fabrication applications have been key topics in the field of nanotechnology. Impressively complicated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with well-defined nanopatterns have been created on surface employing sophisticated organic molecules. Nevertheless, very limited progress has been made toward the ultimate objective, bottom-up fabrication of nanoarchitectures. This perspective aims to summarize recent advances of patterned SAMs, to identify the obstacles, and also to explore promising directions that will facilitate the development and application of SAMs.

Key words: self-assembled monolayers, bottom-up, scanning probe microscopy, MALDI-TOF-MS, surface chemistry