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Friday, 12th December 2008 (2321 views)

Researchers in the US have made a nanotechnology breakthrough using gold.

A team from the University of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have demonstrated that a molecular chain reaction can be carried out on a gold surface, a development that scientists claim has "sizeable potential".

The research, published in the latest edition of the Science journal, shows how molecules can rearrange themselves after their original bonds have been broken.

Study co-author Kenneth Jordan, a professor of chemistry, said that the application could potentially be used to improve information storage devices and in nanolithography, which is featured in the production of circuit boards and microchips.

He commented: "Our work shows that reactions on metal surfaces can be sustained over long distances."

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the University of California in collaboration with Cardiff University has found that US and UK residents are optimistic about the potential benefits to alternative energy sources that nanotechnology brings.

 

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