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Materials science

Nanoscale control of chain polymerization

Nature volume 409, pages 683–684 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Polymer industries depend on the spontaneous polymerization of molecules into chains in response to an appropriate trigger. We have succeeded in inducing and guiding chain polymerization over tiny distances, initiating and terminating linear propagation at any chosen point to a spatial precision of about 1 nm by using the probe tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope. Being able to exert such fine control over nanoscale fabrication and interconnection should help to take molecular nanoelectronics beyond the present silicon-based-device technology.

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Figure 1: Scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) images and diagrams showing the process of controlling the initiation and termination of linear chain polymerization with an STM tip.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Surface and Interface Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan

    Yuji Okawa & Masakazu Aono

  2. CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Kawaguchi, 332-0012, Saitama, Japan

    Yuji Okawa & Masakazu Aono

  3. Department of Precision Science and Technology, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan

    Masakazu Aono

Authors
  1. Yuji Okawa
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  2. Masakazu Aono
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Correspondence to Yuji Okawa.

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Okawa, Y., Aono, M. Nanoscale control of chain polymerization. Nature 409, 683–684 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35055625

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