| Posted: June 6, 2007 |
Ultralong nanobelts for wiring nanoelectric devices |
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(Nanowerk News) In the realm of nanotechnology, where sizes are measured in billionths of a meter and one inch packs 25,400,000 nanometers, linking nanoscale units into structures 100 microns long (the width of a human hair) seems like a world-class achievement. Scientists in Illinois now are reporting for the first time the fabrication of "ultralong nanobelts" that are about a millimeter long. Only about 25 of such nanobelts, laid end to end, would equal an inch.
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In a report scheduled for the June 20 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society ("Ultralong Nanobelts Self-Assembled from an Asymmetric Perylene Tetracarboxylic Diimide"), a weekly publication, Ling Zang and colleagues say that the feat will enable easier construction of integrated nanoelectronic devices, which usually require "long" lengths of wire to connect electrodes and other electronic components. Made from an electrically conductive material widely used in certain electronic devices, the nanobelts would be well suited as wires.
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The report describes development of a new self-assembly process, in which one form of the material spontaneously links together to form long nanobelts of uniform size. With their length and ability to carry electric current, the nanobelts appear to be ideal for a broad range of electronic applications, the report states.
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