Tiny but highly conducting wires are needed to conduct electric and optical signals from one point to the other. Single rod-shaped molecules are well suited to take on this task. At the same time, the optical and electronic characteristics of the tiny wires must meet specific demands. Japanese researchers working with Atsuhiro Osuka have taken up this challenge - successfully. They have been able to develop a highly promising approach to the construction of molecular wires that conduct light.
Porphyrins are an important component of enzymes, such as the hemoglobin that renders our blood red.
As part of the chlorophyll in plants, porphyrins are fundamentally involved in photosynthesis. They help the plant make chemical use of the sun s energy. Porphyrins are stable, ring-shaped molecules with a strictly planar structure. Osuka and his colleagues have managed to get up to 128 of these building blocks hooked together. But this length is far from the limit.