Self-organization in the Nanoscale
In a joint publication, the groups of M. Ruben and K. Kern from the EUROCORES-SONSII consortium “FunSMARTs” have published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) images resolving molecules which have organized themselves into patterns according to size. The automatic molecular assembly and selection steps exhibited by the molecules, which start as random mixtures, demonstrates a fundamental step in the evolution of life. The organization is activated by instructions which are built-in to the molecules. During assembly, molecules exhibit active self-selection: those in incorrect positions move to make room for others which fit properly. The molecular-level observation of such self-selection gives, for the first time, direct insight into fundamental steps of the biological evolution from inanimate molecules to living entities. The resulting nanostructures also hold great promise as an efficient avenue to new catalysts, nanotechnologies, and surface applications.
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More information available at www.ruben-group.de
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Nanometer scale organisation of molecular components on a copper surface, demonstrating sorting of two sizes of molecules (in dark and light blue) through active molecular self-selection (see A. Langner et al. PNAS, 104, 17927-17930)
Image: KIT/MPG.
