Mechanosynthesis

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.

Related Topics:
Conventional chemical synthesis or chemosynthesis - Molecule - Vibration

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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.

Related Topics:
Mechanochemistry - Scanning tunneling scraping electron microscope - Molecular engineering

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Broader exploitation of mechanosynthesis awaits more advanced technology for constructing molecular machine systems - including a molecular assembler or precursors thereof.

Related Topics:
Molecular machine - Molecular assembler

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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

Related Topics:
K. Eric Drexler - Molecular manufacturing - Nanofactories - Nobel - Richard Smalley - Nanotechnology

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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.

Related Topics:
Industrial accident - Chernobyl - Bhopal - Ecophagy - Grey goo - Green goo - UK Royal Society - UK Royal Academy of Engineering - 2003 - Mechanical engineering - Professor - Ann Dowling

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However, the Royal Society's nanotech report did not address molecular manufacturing at all, except to dismiss it along with gray goo.

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