Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method for creating a chemically structured surface with structural elements as small as 1 nm, on a material that does not itself display a high degree of ordering, using thin molecular layers that minimize the material added through the coating. In particular, the present invention discloses a method for assembling a chemical pattern on a surface, comprising pattern elements with scales that can be as small as 1 nm, and then transferring that pattern to another substrate, on which the pattern would not form natively. In the described method, the patterned monolayer is comprised of polymerizable amphiphiles such as diyne phospholipids or diynoic acids, which are transferred from the ordering substrate using a transferring material such as poly(dimethylsiloxane).