Small-scale glues stick to surfaces
By Corinna Wu
A blob of glue might work for assembling a model airplane, but connecting microscopic particles for nanotechnology applications requires more precise adhesives. A new study shows that by choosing materials known to bind to a particular surface at the molecular level, researchers can create the nanoscale glues they need.
Roger J. Davey and his colleagues at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in England, used crystals of saccharin to test the ability of three compounds to act as molecular glues. Saccharin crystals can assume a structure known as a twin: The planes of atoms come together to form an interface with one side presenting the mirror image of the other.