Meso-scale Systems Mimicking Molecules and Materials

哈佛大学化学与化学生物系的有机与大分子化学项目和材料研究部的固态化学项目通过这一更新奖支持了George Whitesides博士在马萨诸塞州剑桥市的化学与化学生物系的持续工作。这项工作将探索中观尺度（微米到厘米大小）的组件的自组装，使用模拟分子自组装的策略。这项工作将扩展到更小的尺寸，更复杂的地形（包括3D），并包括电气和光学功能。它将探索分子和生物分子概念的价值，以及设计中尺度自组装系统的类比，包括为凝聚态物理开发的气泡筏组件的类似物。这项在中尺度上的工作，利用化学和生物学的概念，弥合了正常尺度（厘米）和分子水平（纳米）器件之间的差距。这项工作有望开发新的方法来制备用现有方法很难或不可能制造的微型电子和光学器件。由于其跨学科的性质，它有望为参与的学生提供优秀的培训。

With this renewal award the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division and the Solid-State Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research support the ongoing work of Dr. George Whitesides in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The work will explore the self-assembly of components at the meso-scale (micrometers to centimeters in size), using strategies modeled on molecular self-assembly. The work will be extended to smaller size, more complex topography (including 3D), and include electrical and optical functionality. It will explore the value of molecular and biomolecular concepts and analogies for the design of meso-scale, self-assembling systems, including analogues of bubble raft assemblies developed for condensed matter physics.This work at the meso-scale bridges the gap between devices with components at normal scale (cm) with those at the molecular level (nm), using concepts from chemistry and biology. The work is expected to develop new methods to prepare tiny electronic and optical devices that are difficult or impossible to make by current methods. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, it is expected to provide excellent training for the students involved.