Joined: 16 Mar 2004 |Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:35 pm Post
subject: Golden Glue A single gold atom might be able to serve
as a versatile glue to bind together different kinds of monomers
into completely unknown structures. Pekka Pyykkö and colleagues
at the University of Helsinki, Finland, have used theoretical
calculations to predict a new family of structures. The
compounds are made of aromatic rings glued together by gold
atoms to form infinite one-dimensional nanostrips. Gold atoms
glue aromatic rings together Depending on the geometry and
chemical composition, the nanostrips can behave as insulators,
semiconductors or metals. 'Due to the abundance of
possibilities, one is able to experiment with various starting
materials in search of successful syntheses of these new
systems,' said Pyykkö. The repeating molecular units in these
systems are relatively small, explained Pyykkö, which allows
highly accurate quantum-chemical predictions. This means that
simulations can be used to tailor new systems to achie