‘Plug and play’ molecular logic
Scientists in Belfast and Bangkok report a modular approach to self-assemble logic gates with molecular components. A. Prasanna de Silva from Queen’s University, Belfast, and colleagues from Belfast and Bangkok implemented a set of ion-driven molecular logic gates in turn by arranging the association between easily available lumophores and receptors in detergent micelles.
De Silva has now shown that molecular logic gates can be self-assembled from components that are simply mixed. Previously, each molecular logic gate had to be synthesised. The molecular logic type, known as the configuration, can also be altered simply by adding another component. This simple was of reconfiguring increases the flexibility of molecular logic designs as more logic operations become accessible from a small set of components.
‘Of course, this self-assembly method is currently limited to rather modest switching ratios between the ‘on’ and ‘off’ signals but this should be improved in time,’ explains de Silva. He hopes that ‘the field of molecular logic and computation will receive more and more contributions’ in the future.
Original publication: A. Prasanna de Silva et al., Chem. Commun. 2009.
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