It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with mechanochemistry. (Discuss)

In conventional chemical synthesis or chemosynthesis, reactive molecules encounter one another through random thermal motion in a liquid or vapor. In a hypothesized process of mechanosynthesis, reactive molecules would be attached to molecular mechanical systems, and their encounters would result from mechanical motions bringing them together in planned sequences, positions, and orientations. It is envisioned that mechanosynthesis would avoid unwanted reactions by keeping potential reactants apart, and would strongly favor desired reactions by holding reactants together in optimal orientations for many molecular vibration cycles. Mechanosynthetic systems would be designed to resemble some biological mechanisms. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section should include material from Mechanosynthesis Mechanochemistry, sometimes also called positional synthesis or positional assembly is a technique for forming chemical bonds by direct computer control of the position of molecules. ... Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of 1-carbon molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic molecules (e. ... A molecule is something that Lelea has in her room in Chase. ... See Oscillator (disambiguation) for particular types of oscillation and oscillators. ...

While the description of mechanosynthesis given above has not yet been achieved, primitve mechanochemistry has been performed at cryogenic temperatures using scanning tunneling scraping electron microscopes). So far, such devices provide the closest approach to fabrication tools for molecular engineering. This article or section should include material from Mechanosynthesis Mechanochemistry, sometimes also called positional synthesis or positional assembly is a technique for forming chemical bonds by direct computer control of the position of molecules. ... Image of substitutional Cr impurities (small bumps) in the Fe(001) surface. ... Molecular engineering is any means of manufacturing molecules. ...

Broader exploitation of mechanosynthesis awaits more advanced technology for constructing molecular machine systems - including a molecular assembler or precursors thereof. ... A molecular assembler is a molecular machine capable of assembling other molecules given instructions, energy, and a supply of smaller building block molecules to work from. ...

It has been suggested, notably by K. Eric Drexler, that mechanosynthesis will be fundamental to molecular manufacturing based on nanofactories capable of building macroscopic objects with atomic precision. The potential for these has been disputed, notably by Nobel Laurate Richard Smalley, leading to a famous dispute between the two of them - see nanotechnology. More recently, the debate has moved onto blogs, notably that of Richard Jones Kim Eric Drexler (born April 25, 1955) is an American engineer best known for popularizing the potential of hypothetical molecular nanotechnology. ... Molecular engineering is any means of manufacturing molecules. ... A nanofactory is a proposed system in which nanomachines (resembling molecular assemblers, or industrial robot arms) would combine reactive molecules via mechanosynthesis to build larger atomically precise parts. ... Sir Edward Appletons medal Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ... Richard Errett Smalley (born June 6, 1943) is a professor of chemistry at Rice University, in Houston, Texas. ... A miteItza me mario! next to a gear set produced using MEMS, the precursor to nanotechnology. ...

In part to resolve this and related questions about the dangers of industrial accidents and runaway events equivalent to Chernobyl and Bhopal, and the more remote issue of ecophagy, grey goo and green goo (various potential disasters arising from runaway replicators, which could be built using mechanosynthesis) the UK Royal Society and UK Royal Academy of Engineering in 2003 commissioned a study to deal with these issues and larger social and ecological implications, led by mechanical engineering professor Ann Dowling. This was anticipated by some to take a strong position on these problems and potentials - and suggest any development path to a general theory of so-called mechanosynthesis. Chernobyl area. ... Bhopal, marked in red, lies in central India. ... As originally coined and first defined by Robert Freitas, the term ecophagy means, literally, the consuming of an ecosystem. ... Grey goo, or gray goo, is a term first used by molecular nanotechnology pioneer Eric Drexler in his book Engines of Creation. ... The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is claimed to be the oldest learned society still in existence. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ford Essex V6 engine Mechanical engineering is the application of physical principles to the creation of useful WESTCOUNTYJACKASS.COM reality for machine design. ... A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ...

However, the Royal Society's nanotech report did not address molecular manufacturing at all, except to dismiss it along with gray goo. The Royal Societys nanotech report was inspired by Prince Charles concerns about nanotechnology, including molecular manufacturing. ...

Existing Work on Diamond Mechanosynthesis

There is some peer-reviewed research on synthesizing diamond by mechanically depositing carbon atoms (a process known as mechanosynthesis).

• Theoretical Analysis of a Carbon-Carbon Dimer Placement Tool for Diamond Mechanosynthesis. Merkle and Freitas, J. Nanosci. Nanotech. 2003, Vol. 3, No. 03.
• Theoretical Analysis of Diamond Mechanosynthesis. Part I. Stability of C₂ Mediated Growth of Nanocrystalline Diamond C(110) Surface. Peng, Freitas and Merkle. J. Comput. Theor. Nanosci. Vol. 1, No. 1 2004.
• Theoretical Analysis of Diamond Mechanosynthesis. Part II. C₂ Mediated Growth of Diamond C(110) Surface via Si/Ge-Triadamantane Dimer Placement Tools. Mann, Peng, Freitas and Merkle. J. Comput. Theor. Nanosci. Vol. 1, No. 1 2004.

For the paper by Mann, et al., the researchers used over 5 years of CPU time to simulate a series of "tool tips" which could be used to place a pair of carbon atoms (a dimer) onto a diamond surface. The most promising tip succeeded in placing the carbon dimer onto the diamond surface once in five simulations, and it had to be positioned with great accuracy to avoid bonding the dimer incorrectly. Furthermore, the tips were difficult to recharge with a second carbon dimer, and were only stable in carefully controlled environments. Sucrose, or common table sugar, is composed of glucose and fructose. ... A scattering of round-brilliant cut diamonds shows off the many reflecting facets. ...

Further research to consider alternate tips will require time-consuming computational chemistry and difficult laboratory work. Computational chemistry is a branch of theoretical chemistry whose major goals are to create efficient mathematical approximations and computer programs that calculate the properties of molecules (such as total energy, dipole and quadrupole moment, vibrational frequencies, reactivity and other diverse spectroscopic quantitities and cross sections for collision of molecules with...

See also: chemosynthesis Chemosynthesis is the biological conversion of 1-carbon molecules (usually carbon dioxide or methane) and nutrients into organic matter using the oxidation of inorganic molecules (e. ...

External links

• Bibliography by Robert Freitas