] The key ingredient in Subramanian's organic circuits
] is "liquid gold." Synthesized in his
] laboratory, liquid gold consists of gold nanocrystals
] that are only 20 atoms across and melt at 100 degrees
] Celsius, 10 times lower than normal.
]
] The gold nanocrystals are encapsulated in an organic
] shell of an alkanethiol (an organic molecule containing
] carbon, hydrogen and sulphur) and dissolved in ink. As
] the circuit is printed on plastic, paper or cloth using
] inkjet technology, the organic encapsulant is burned off,
] leaving the gold as a high-quality conductor.

This is an interesting approach. I wonder if it can be expanded to other kinds of molecules. Basically, encase the molecules you really want inside of a something like a bucky ball, but which is easy to manipulate, and easy to destroy. Then you build a general purpose acutator for positioning the bucky balls. One you've layed out the balls where you want them, you either burn them off, or destroy them chemically, revealing the molecules you really want, which, being next to eachother will bond.... This is the sort of abstration layer that nanotech needs.

Thoughts from people with more chemisty knowledge?

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