4. Self-assembled systems

Thanks to the near-field microscopy techniques described above, it is now possible in the laboratory to observe, manipulate and even control chemical reactions molecule by molecule. While this improves our understanding of the phenomena involved, this approach cannot be envisaged for applications that will require a large number (10 ¹⁵ ) of nano-objects of identical size, shape and properties. To move in this direction, researchers are working on self-assembling systems designed to promote, without human intervention, the spontaneous organization of molecules on the surface. It's easy to see that two types of interaction are going to be predominant in the evolution of the self-assembly phenomenon: molecule/molecule interactions and molecule/surface interactions. If you want to promote molecule/molecule interaction, you need to choose metal surfaces...