Category: Nanodot

from the More-molectronics dept.
A collaborative research team from the University of Arizona and Motorola, Inc. have devised a method to measure the electrical conductivity of a single molecule using contacts bonded to the two ends of an octanedithiol molecule. Many previous efforts to characterize possible molecular wires and other molectronic components have given variable results because the contacts were often simple mechanical contacts, not chemically-bonded connections. In their report in the 19 October 2001 issue of Science, the UA/Motorola team describe a method for creating through-bond electrical contacts with very small (2 nanometer) gold particles bonded to single molecules and the achievement of reproducible measurements of the molecules' conductivity. A schematic image is also available.

from the Molectronics dept.
Researchers at Lucent Technologiesí Bell Laboratories report they have created organic transistors with a single-molecule channel length. The companyís press release, along with videos of a press conference and interviews with the principal researchers, are available on the Bell Labs website. The research was reported in the 18 October 2001 issue of Nature; additional coverage ran in the New York Times (18 October 2001).

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Minnesota have discovered a molecular motor that is capable of packing viral DNA into a protein shell at internal pressures of up to 60 atmospheres, making it the most powerful molecular motor discovered so far. The research was reported in the 18 October 2001 issue of Nature, where it was the cover article.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is still soliciting proposals for the FY 2002 grants process for its program on collaborative research and education in the area of nanoscale science and engineering. The program supports research science and engineering research and education in emerging areas of nanoscale science and technology, including: biosystems at the nanoscale; nanoscale structures, novel phenomena, and quantum control; device and system architecture; design tools and nanosystems specific software; nanoscale processes in the environment; multi-scale, multi-phenomena modeling and simulation at the nanoscale; manufacturing processes at the nanoscale; and studies on the societal implications of nanoscale science and engineering. This solicitation will provide support for: Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Teams (NIRT) and Nanoscale Exploratory Research (NER). Proposals are due by 19 December 2001. For details, visit the NSF website at http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2001/nsf01157/nsf01157.html.