A team of US scientists has developed a way of synthesizing iron-platinum nanorods and nanowires while controlling their size and composition, it has been announced.

The technique could represent a significant step towards building the next generation of high-density information storage components for computers, which some analysts predict may be required as early as 2010.

Overseen by Shouheng Sun and Yanglong Hou, the Brown University-based team's technique enables the synthesis of nanorods and nanowires from 20 nanometres and 200 nanometres long through varying the ratio of solvent and surfactant used in synthesis.

Both Professor Sun and Mr Hou perceive that in this way they can compress computer memory.

Professor Sun said: "Many people think that shape can control alignment, but controlling shape has not been so easy. This method gives us a really simple way to tune length, diameter and composition all at the same time."

In particular, it was found that by applying more surfactant, oleylamine, longer wires were produced, while the use of more solvent, octadecene, resulted in the production of shorter rods.

It is thought that the surfactant molecules form tunnels around the nano-rods, which acts to protect them and guide them into longer shapes. Meanwhile, the surfactant molecules line up with water-absorbing tails directed inward and the water-repellant heads outwards.

The team has also shown that the technique can be employed to control the shape of cobalt-platinum nanorods and has extrapolated that it may work for other combinations.

Source:

New Nano-Method May Help Compress Computer Memory, 22/07/07http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-179.html

Nano-particles may help compress computer memory, 24/06/07http://www.dailyindia.com/show/151936.php/Nano-particles-may-help-compress-computer-memory

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