Researchers have designed a new class of small molecules that spontaneously assemble into nanoribbons with unprecedented strength, retaining their structure outside of water. The results of this multi-year effort, which could inspire a broad range of applications, were described on Jan. 21 in Nature Nanotechnology by Ortony and coauthors.
The material the MIT group constructed—or rather, allowed to construct itself—is modeled after a cell membrane. Its outer part is hydrophilic, which means it likes to be in water, whereas its inner part is hydrophobic, meaning it tries to avoid water. This configuration provides a driving force for self-assembly," as the molecules orient themselves to minimize interactions between the hydrophobic regions and water, consequently taking on a nanoscale shape.
Read More: https://phys.org/news/2021-01-molecular-nanofibers-stronger-steel.html
The material the MIT group constructed—or rather, allowed to construct itself—is modeled after a cell membrane. Its outer part is hydrophilic, which means it likes to be in water, whereas its inner part is hydrophobic, meaning it tries to avoid water. This configuration provides a driving force for self-assembly," as the molecules orient themselves to minimize interactions between the hydrophobic regions and water, consequently taking on a nanoscale shape.
Read More: https://phys.org/news/2021-01-molecular-nanofibers-stronger-steel.html
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