Category: Articles

Roland Piquepaille writes "A group of chemists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has developed 'nanodumbbells' — gold-tipped nanocrystals which can be used as building blocks for future electronic devices. These 'nanodumbbells', which are shaped like mini-weightlifting bars, will apparently solve two nanotechnological problems: assembling billions of nanocrystals into a single integrated electrical circuit; and provide good electrical contact. And they will be used to create self-assembling chain structures of nanocrystals. This overview provides other details, pictures and references about this project. [Additional note, totally unrelated to the scientific content: there is not a single reference to 'nanodumbbells' by Google, at least right now when I'm typing this.]"

New Scientist reports that three interlocking molecular Borromean rings were self assembled by a team led by Fraser Stoddart. Stoddart told New Scientist his work on Borromean rings was inspired in part by "their potential to be turned into some of the smallest possible machines and switches you can design at the molecular level." Jay Siegel, a chemist at the University of Zurich, agreed that "Chains and links are important for making gears and switching devices".

Scholars Probe Nanotechnology's Promise and Its Potential Problems surveys the widespread interest in applications based upon the novel characteristics of materials structured at the nanometer scale, and the effort that is being invested in studying environmental and health issues associated with using nanomaterials. The goal is to avoid the public relations problems faced by other technologies that did not take seriously risks and public concerns about those risks. However, "The concern that has generated the most attention in the popular press has been gray goo-self-replicating nanobots that could hypothetically get out of control." Rather than addressing this narrow issue specifically, many mainstream scientists have tried to avoid the issue by making unsupported claims that self-replicating nanomachines can't be made. Eric Drexler is quoted defending the claim that nanoscale machinery capable of making atomically precise products can be manufactured. "Through the quirks of politics, the mainstream has rejected the original goal [the vision Richard Feynman described in 1959]. We are raising a generation of researchers who have been told that molecular manufacturing will threaten their careers."