| Posted: November 12, 2009 |
Getting molecules to move quickly in a desired direction without help from outside forces |
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(Nanowerk News) Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting an advance toward overcoming one of the key challenges in nanotechnology: Getting molecules to move quickly in a desired direction without help from outside forces.
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Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting an advance towards overcoming one of the key challenges in nanotechnology: Getting molecules to move quickly in a desired direction without help from outside forces.
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| Getting molecules to move quickly in a desired direction without help from outside forces.
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The control of single molecules is of considerable interest in areas of molecular assembly such as the control of individual chemical reactions and interactions, single molecular sensing, advanced therapeutics where specific targeting is envisaged, and molecular computers.
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Geoghegan and colleagues note long-standing efforts to produce directed, controlled movement of individual molecules in the nano world, where objects are about 1/50,000ththe width of a human hair. The main solutions so far have involved use of expensive, complex machines to move the molecules and they have been only partially successful, the scientists say.
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Mark Geoghegan and colleagues demonstrate the diffusion of single poly(ethylene glycol) molecules on surfaces which change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic over a few micrometers ("Directed Single Molecule Diffusion Triggered by Surface Energy Gradients"). These gradients in surface energy are shown to drive the molecular diffusion in the direction of the hydrophilic component. The polymer diffusion coefficients on these surfaces are measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and are shown to be elevated by more than an order of magnitude compared to surfaces without the surface energy gradient. Along the gradient, the diffusion is asymmetric.
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The applications are great and range from the possibility of coaxing cells to move and grow in specific directions to treat diseases. It also could speed development of some long-awaited nanotech innovations. They include self-healing structures that naturally repair tears in their surface and devices that deliver medication to diseased while sparing healthy tissue
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