Nanofabrication by Shrinking of Patterned Gels

The present invention enables three-dimensional nanofabrication by isotropic shrinking of patterned hydrogels. A hydrogel is first expanded, the rate of expansion being controlled by the concentration of the crosslinker. The hydrogel is then infused with a reactive group and patterned in three dimensions using a photon beam through a limited-diffraction microscope. Functional particles or materials are then deposited on the pattern. The hydrogel is then shrunk and cleaved from the pattern.