Amphiphilic molecular modules and constructs based thereon

Abstract

The present invention relates to the preparation of synthons that are used to form modules that, in turn, are used to form two-dimensional close-packed planar arrays, referred to as nanomembranes. In a presently preferred embodiment, a nanomembrane herein constitutes a filter.

Description

[0001] This invention is related to the fields of organic chemistry and nanotechnology. In particular, it relates to materials and methods for the construction of amphiphilic modules and the formation of nanomembranes, from the modules.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTON[0002] In 1959, Richard Feynman addressed a meeting of the American Physical Society with a talk titled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom." Professor Feynman, drawing on his own fascination with biology ("Biological systems can be exceedingly small . . . but they are active; they manufacture substances, they walk around; . . . and they do all kind of marvelous things--all on a very small scale."), predicted that amazing feats of man-made miniaturization would be realized in the not too distant future.[0003] Twenty-six years later, K. Eric Drexler wrote a book entitled "Engines of Creation" in which he described nanotechnology as "the knowledge and means for designing, fabricating and employing molecular scale devices by t...

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Problems solved by technology

Since that time a tremendous amount of effort has been, and continues to be, spent on devising practical applications for this new-found ability to work directly with the atom.

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