Duke Research: Creating Knowledge. Serving Society

Pick Up Sticks

A MOLECULAR CLAMP just 2 billionths of a meter across is being developed by Stephen Craig, associate professor of chemistry, as a handle to manipulate carbon nanotubes. The pure-carbon tubes are sort of like soda straws and have tremendous potential for molecular-scale electronics and new materials. But being just 1.2 nanometers in diameter, they’re a little tricky to handle. Craig’s curved molecule works like ice tongs to grab onto individual nanotubes and make it easier to separate them and move them around.