In, on, and around cells, myriad molecules execute specific tasks. Enzymes catalyze reactions, ribosomes manufacture proteins, receptors transmit signals, and so on. The molecules owe their impressive specialization to their bulk: The larger and more complex a molecule, the more sophisticated its function.
Scientists want to mimic nature’s ability to craft large, functional molecules. And they want to marshal the molecules into smart materials or nanoscale devices. Already, using a technique called molecular self-assembly, one can synthesize intricate cagelike structures a few nanometers across. Now, a group from the University of Nottingham in England has shown that molecular self-assembly can also be used to arrange large molecules on a surface.
Led by physicist Peter Beton and chemist Neil Champness, the Nottingham group has created a honeycomb-shaped grid of organic molecules on a passivated silicon surface. 1 Other groups have made self-assembled arrays. What makes the Nottingham grid remarkable is the...
