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Tuesday, 3rd March 2009 (1418 views)

Scientists have developed a way of lifting single polymers from a gold surface, it has been announced.

The team, which comprises of researchers from Freie Universitat and Humboldt University in the German city of Berlin and the CEMES-CNRS institute in Toulouse, have also been able to measure the electrical and mechanical properties of the polymers during the process, Science Daily reports.

According to the news source, these so-called "molecular cables" can be used to transport the electricity needed for the application of a variety of nanometre electronic circuits.

The development means that for the first time, cables measuring more than 20 nanometres can be created from the precious metal, with future developments making it possible to "optimise" such wires depending on their intended use.

In related news, scientists have also developed a method of using gold to create new thin coatings for LCD and plasma televisions by packing nanoparticles of the metal with latex microspheres, New Scientist reports.

 

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