Scientists at the University of Nottingham have made a discovery that could have important implications for harnessing the potential of a single molecule at the nanoscale.
In an article published in the journal Nature Communications, a team of physicists and chemists have demonstrated for the first time how an irregular-shaped molecule is absorbed on a surface. This provides important information to scientists about how they could dispose of these molecules to form structures, potentially build tiny new data storage devices that are 40 to 50 times smaller than their existing silicon-based counterparts.
The work involved computer modeling of a molecule based on manganese and predict how it would be absorbed on a gold surface before observing actual behavior in the laboratory. Due to the fragility of the molecules, the team had to use a new electrospray deposition technique for molecules on the surface without destroying their functionality.
