NANOTECHNOLOGY
Molecules for nanotextiles
Weaving with cross-shaped monomers is the aim of researchers at the University of Basel.
This might look like two crossed threads, but actually it’s a single molecule. | Image: Camiel Kroonen
Textiles are notable for being both stable and flexible – and now chemists at the University of Basel are trying to recreate similar materials woven on the nanoscale. To this end, they have designed cross-shaped monomers that can be arranged in a 2D pattern on the surface of water. When the links between the warp and weft threads are loosened at their crossover points, a molecular ‘textile’ is created. According to Marcel Mayor, the team leader, this innovative material could be used for many different applications.
