This invention presents a new method of selective particle separation, sensing, and adhesion control, based on particle size, characteristic curvature, and surface chemistry, including lengthscales of heterogeneities in surface chemistry.  The invention describes the preparation and use of detection / adhesion surfaces that contain nanoscale domains which are fundamentally adhesive while the rest of the surface is fundamentally repulsive to some portions of the surface of some external objects.  These surface features can be recognized by external objects and molecules, the surface pattern being the sensing element. Patterns can adhere single molecules or objects up to at least one micron, and being a completely artificial construct, achieve selectivity without the use of fragile and costly biological molecules, if applying this method to analysis of biological materials.