Protective cage for nanoscale structures

from the behave-or-be-caged dept.
bbrelin brings to our attention work at Purdue in which 10-40 nm structures are "caged" to protect them from unwanted reactions. Now used for metal clusters, such a process may be useful in protecting more complex nanodevices:
"Scientists are trying to use these to build new, stronger materials one molecule at a time for applications ranging from medicine to aerospace. But this bottoms-up approach has had a downside: Nanoparticles can be so fragile and unstable that if their surfaces touch, they will fuse together, losing their special shape and properties…The porous coating permits the particle inside to interact with substances outside, but keeps the nanoparticles from interacting with each other."