This figure (Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe und Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart) shows nanometer scale organisation of molecular components on an ultra-clean copper surface, demonstrating sorting of two sizes of molecules through molecular self-selection. The spacing between molecular rows is about 1 nm.  The research at the Max-Planck-Institut involving specialists in self-assembling molecules with built-in instructions has important implications in understanding the fundamental steps of biological evolution from simple molecules to living entities. Full story at the Max Planck Society website.

Posted: October 31st, 2007 under Nanotechnology.
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The 2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Gerhard Ertl of the Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin for his ground breaking studies in surface chemistry. Professor Ertl’s work has been instrumental in developing techniques that enable the study of the behaviour of individual atoms or molecules at a surface. Such studies are vital in fields as diverse as corrosion, fuel cells, catalysts, semiconductors, and soil and atmospheric research.

Further details about the award and Professor Ertl’s work can be found at the Nobelprize.org website.

Posted: October 11th, 2007 under Chemistry.
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