Hydrogel micropatterns of poly(ethylene glycol) and polyacrylamide were prepared with a facile photolithographic method. Monomer solutions containing photoinitiator were directly polymerized by UV illumination through a transparency photomask, forming 2-dimensional gel patterns on silanized glass surfaces. The chemically patterned surfaces thus prepared could be used as the template for patterning mammalian cells and formation of structured droplets.
