Patent ID: 8468611

Claim:
A method of modifying a surface, the method comprising: providing a surface comprising a first functional group at a first location; resistively heating an atomic force microscope tip to a specific temperature; positioning the resistively heated atomic force microscope tip adjacent to, or in contact with, the first location effective to heat the first location; thereby removing the first functional group from at least a portion of the first location such that the surface comprises a second functional group at the at least the portion of the first location; wherein the first functional group is a tetrahydropyranyl carbamate, amine N-oxide, tetrahydropyranyl ether, triphenylmethyl ether, tetrahydropyranyl carbonate ester, S-tetrahydropyranyl carbonyl, or ethyl disulfide; and wherein the second functional group is an amine, alcohol, phenol, or thiol, wherein the surface is a cross-linked polymer surface, and the polymer is covalently bonded to a substrate.