In a universe where conditions direct substances to have a substantial degree of disorder, there is a continuing interest in developing new techniques for ordering molecules for a wide variety of purposes. In the field of electronics, the ability to develop crystalline arrays having a low level of imperfections has permitted ever increasing sophistication and efficiency in the handling of electronic circuits. As efforts have been made to increase the amount of information which may be stored or manipulated within a particular volume or area, difficulties in defining specific elements and preventing the interaction between adjacent elements has greatly increased.
There is also substantial interest in being able to determine structures of complex macromolecules. With proteins, it is frequently difficult to obtain crystalline structures to permit structural determinations using x-ray diffraction or two-dimensional crystals for use in electron crystallography.
Other areas where order is of interest include structural members, such as fibers, layers in multilamellar constructions, and the like.
There is also substantial interest in being able to produce novel conducting materials, semiconductor materials and insulating materials, particularly those that have properties which may be different from other materials having analogous characteristics. The ability to employ switches whose function can be modified by external conditions is of particular interest and can have a wide variety of applications.