The last time, I reported regarding nano printing technology made possible in the laboratory with an inkjet printer, it was in the range of 250 nano meters. We have news coming in that the latest printing size possible is less than 100 nano meters; that's two and a half times smaller than the former.

A report published in yesterday's issue of ACS' Journal of Organic Chemistry contained a research report - Bio-catalytic Micro-contact Printing which presented a technology that prints with enzymes which is the latest ink replacement.

The technology will enable printing very high resolution pictures. The printing is possible as a result of chemical reaction rather than diffusion which is the current technique.

The new technology, termed biocatalytic microcontact printing, involves coating a nano-"stamp" with an enzyme -- a protein that speeds up chemical reactions.

The enzyme then digests away a layer on the surface, leaving behind an imprint almost like an old-fashioned rubber stamp. Because no diffusion of ink is involved in the process, the resolution of microcontact printed images is about one hundredfold greater than possible with conventional technology.

This latest innovation takes the printing world into a new dimension. It is projected to be much cheaper than the current technique. The quality and scale of nano devices is expected to improve leaps and bounds if the proposed technology takes off commercially.

via Science Daily