Foundations of Nanoscience (FNANO)
Venue: Snowbird Cliff Lodge
Location: Snowbird, Utah, United States
Event Date/Time: Apr 20, 2009 | End Date/Time: Apr 24, 2009 |
Registration Date: Apr 19, 2009 | |
Early Registration Date: Mar 15, 2009 | |
Abstract Submission Date: Jan 15, 2009 | |
Paper Submission Date: Jan 15, 2009 |
Description
Top-down methods for construction of nanostructures, such as e-beam lithography, have inherent limitations in scale. Bottom-up methods appear to have no such scale limitations. Self-assembly is a bottom-up method of construction where substructures are spontaneously self-ordered into superstructures driven by the selective affinity of the substructures. While top-down methods are well understood, and widely used in engineering and manufacturing processes, self-assembly is a much less well-understood construction process. Chemists have for many decades used self-assembly methods (for example, for the self-assembly of lipid or polymer layers), but they conventionally result in structures with limited complexity, and are not readily programmable. However the cell is self-assembled, and contains many complex structured components.
A missing pillar in the emerging discipline of Nanoscience is an understanding of self-assembly methods for forming complex structured components. For a variety of historical reasons, self-assembly processes and experiments have not been examined by science to the degree that is now needed by Nanoscience. The Conference provides a synergism for a community of scholars working in self-assembly related areas who would otherwise not have contact with each other.