Molecular Chains Line Up to Form a New Chemical State, a ‘Protopolymer’

December 17, 2004 | Source: KurzweilAI

Penn State researchers have observed a new chemical state, designated a “protopolymer,” in chains of phenylene molecules on a crystalline copper surface at low temperature.

Protopolymers form when monomers, small molecules that link together chemically to form long chains, align and interact without forming chemical bonds. This type of alignment could be used to control growth and assembly of molecules and for manipulation of nanostructured materials.

Penn State University news release