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Synthesis of Anthropomorphic Molecules
An anonymous reader submits "Chemists at Rice have synthesized a set of 2nm tall molecules resembling humans. They make impressive use of a modular and composable assembly process involving torsos, lower bodies, and heads. Full article can (w/ protocols) be had here. Make your own NanoKid today!" The article itself is payware, but the pictures are not, and worth visiting.
We are now one step closer to nanoporn!
ACS Abstract... more coming shortly
Described here are the synthetic details en route to an array of 2-nm-tall anthropomorphic molecules in monomeric, dimeric, and polymeric form. These anthropomorphic figures are called, as a class, NanoPutians. Using tools of chemical synthesis, the ultimate in designed miniaturization can be attained while preparing the most widely recognized structures: those that resemble humans.
OK... skimming the article, I had to grumble. It's really pretty gimmicky. It's a class of phenyl-pentyne derivatives.
... Scholar, Baker, and Chef.
Once you make "NanoKid", you can "decapitate" the acetal that forms the "head" by microwave irradiation and pop on something else. So they made a "NanoAthlete", "NanoMonarch", "NanoPilgrim", "NanoGreenBeret", "NanoJester", "NanoTexan",
They make a monolayer with "feet" from thiols and put them on a gold surface. Then they cook up some "hands" that can crosslink so they can make a monolayer that "holds hands."
As I said, sorta a gimmick. Tour, et al. don't claim any sort of more interesting purpose than pushing the "erector set" sort of chemistry.
Looks like we've already got a nominee for 2004 Ig Nobel prize in chemistry or physics.
But then again, I could be wrong.
That's a pretty close likeness.
A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
According to a footnote in the article, "An education outreach program has been established based on 3-D animations of anthropomorphic figures called NanoKids. See: http://nanokids.rice.edu."
I guess these color figures better illustrate what the authors had in mind.
I found the article on google here it is.