Nanosystems
Subtitle: molecular machinery, manufacturing, and computation
By: by K. Eric Drexler.
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 1992
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 556
Subjects: Nanotechnology.
Description: "Written by a leading researcher in the field and one of its founders, Nanosystems is the first technical introduction to molecular nanotechnology - an emerging field that has sparked increasing interest and controversy. This groundbreaking book describes fundamental physical principles, components and devices, then examines applications including computers of unprecedented power and manufacturing systems able to build such products molecule by molecule.".

"Nanosystems presents a comprehensive overview of how molecular manufacturing will make products by using nanoscale (billionths of a meter) mechanical and robotic technologies to guide the placement of molecules and atoms. Working with these fundamental building blocks of matter will enable designers to approach the limits of the possible: to build the smallest devices, the fastest computers, the strongest materials, and the highest quality products.

By manipulating common molecules at high frequency, molecular manufacturing will make these products quickly, inexpensively, and on a large scale. Molecular manufacturing is the key to implementing molecular nanotechnologies, building systems to complex atomic specifications.".

"This landmark work first presents the basic principles of physics and chemistry required to understand molecular machines. Then, Dr. Drexler describes computational models of molecules as mechanical systems, the effects of statistical mechanics, quantum uncertainty, damage mechanisms, and energy dissipation, and the fundamentals of mechanosynthesis - the use of mechanical devices to guide molecular reactions.".

"Nanosystems then applies the analytical tools and concepts developed in the first section to the design of nanomechanical components, devices, and systems. It describes nanomechanical gears, bearings, motors, sensors, logic gates, submicron 1000 MIPS computers (consuming 10[superscript -8] times as much power as comparable computers today), and systems able to join simple molecules to build complex products.

The last section discusses how chemical, biochemical, and proximal probe technologies can be used to build complex molecular objects and how this capability can be used to implement molecular manufacturing." "Bringing together physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, and computer science, Nanosystems provides an indispensable introduction to the emerging field of molecular nanotechnology."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 535-546) and index.
"A Wiley-Interscience publication."
Table of contents: title: Chapter 1.  Introduction and Overview      1.1. Why molecular manufacturing?      1.2. What is molecular manufacturing?          Example: a nanomechanical bearing. A chemical perspective on molecular manufacturing. Exposition vs. implementation sequence.       1.3. Comparisons          Conventional fabrication and mechanical engineering. Microfabrication and microtechnology. Solution-phase chemistry. Biochemistry and molecular biology.       1.4. The approach in this volume          Disciplinary range, level, and presentation. Levels of abstraction and approximation. Scope and assumptions. Objectives and nonobjectives.       1.5. Overview of following chapters          Overview of Part I. Overview of Part II. Overview of Part III. Overview of Appendices. Open problems.     	    	  PART I. PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES  Chapter 2. Classical Magnitudes and Scaling Laws      2.1. Overview      2.2. Approximation and classical continuum models      2.3. Scaling of classical mechanical systems          Basic assumptions. Magnitudes and scaling. Major corrections.       2.4. Scaling of classical electromagnetic systems          Basic assumptions. Major corrections. Magnitudes and scaling: steady-state systems. Magnitudes and scaling: time-varying systems.       2.5. Scaling of classical thermal systems          Basic assumptions. Major corrections. Magnitudes and scaling.       2.6. Beyond classical continuum models      2.7. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 3. Potential Energy Surfaces      3.1. Overview      3.2. Quantum theory and approximations          Overview of quantum mechanics. The Born–Oppenheimer PES. Molecular orbital methods.       3.3. Molecular mechanics          The molecular mechanics approach. The MM2 model. Energy, force, and stiffness under large loads.       3.4. Potentials for chemical reactions          Relationship to other methods. Bond cleavage and radical coupling. Abstraction reactions.       3.5. Continuum representations of surfaces          Continuum models of van der Waals attraction. Transverse-continuum models of surfaces. Molecular models and bounded continuum models.       3.6. Conclusions      3.7. Further reading    	    	  Chapter 4. Molecular Dynamics      4.1. Overview      4.2. Nonstatistical mechanics          Vibrational motions. Reactions and transition rates. Generalized trajectories.       4.3. Statistical mechanics          Detailed dynamics vs. statistical mechanics. Basic results in equilibrium statistical mechanics. The configuration-space picture. Equilibrium vs. nonequilibrium processes. Entropy and information. Uncertainty in nanomechanical systems. Mean-force potentials.       4.4. PES revisited: accuracy requirements          Physical accuracy. Chemical accuracy. Accurate energies and nanomechanical design.       4.5. Conclusions      4.6. Further reading    	    	  Chapter 5. Positional Uncertainty      5.1. Overview      5.2. Positional uncertainty in engineering      5.3. Thermally excited harmonic oscillators          Classical treatment. Quantum mechanical treatment.       5.4. Elastic extension of thermally excited rods          Classical continuum treatment. Quantum mechanical treatments.       5.5. Elastic bending of thermally excited rods          Classical treatment. Semicontinuum quantum mechanical treatment. Engineering approximations. Shear and bending in the quantum limit.       5.6. Piston displacement in a gas-filled cylinder          Weighting in terms of potential energy and available states. Weighting in terms of a mean-force potential. Weighting in terms of the Helmholtz free energy. Comparison and quantum effects.       5.7. Longitudinal variance from transverse deformation          General approach. Coupling and variance. Rods with tension and transverse constraints. Rods with freely sliding ends and no transverse constraint.       5.8. Elasticity, entropy, and vibrational modes          Neglect of vibrational modes in classical elastic springs. Conservative scaling of variance with temperature.       5.9. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 6. Transitions, Errors, and Damage      6.1. Overview      6.2. Transitions between potential wells          Transition state theories. Classical transition state theories. Quantum transition state theories. Tunneling.       6.3. Placement errors          Time-dependent PES models. Error models. Switched-coupling error models.       6.4. Thermomechanical damage          Overview. Machine- vs. solution-phase stability. Thermal bond cleavage. Thermomechanical bond cleavage. Other chemical damage mechanisms. The stability of surfaces. Thermal ionization and charge separation.       6.5. Photochemical damage          Energetic photons. Overview of photochemical processes. Design for photochemical stability. Photochemical shielding.       6.6. Radiation damage          Radiation and radiation dosage. Classical radiation target theory. Effects of track structure. Radiation shielding.       6.7. Component and system lifetimes          Component lifetimes. System lifetimes.       6.8. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 7. Energy Dissipation      7.1. Overview      7.2. Radiation from forced oscillations          Overview. Acoustic waves and the equal-speed approximation. Oscillating force at a point. Oscillating torque at a point. Oscillating pressure in a volume. Moving disturbances.       7.3. Phonons and phonon scattering          Phonon momentum and pressure. The Debye model of the phonon energy density. Phonon scattering drag. Scattering from harmonic oscillators. Scattering from alignment bands in bearings. Shear-reflection drag. Interfacial phonon-phonon scattering.       7.4. Thermoelastic damping and phonon viscosity          Thermoelastic damping. Phonon viscosity. Application to moving parts and alignment bands.       7.5. Compression of potential wells          Square well compression. Harmonic well compression. Multidimensional systems.       7.6. Transitions among time-dependent wells          Overview. Energy dissipation in merging wells. Free expansion and symmetrical well merging. Asymmetrical well merging. Optimal well merging under uncertainty.       7.7. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 8. Mechanosynthesis      8.1. Overview          Mechanochemistry: terms and concepts. Scope and approach.       8.2. Perspectives on solution-phase organic synthesis          The scale and scope of chemistry. The prominence of qualitative results in organic synthesis. A survey of synthetic achievements.       8.3. Solution-phase synthesis and mechanosynthesis          Analytical approach. Basic constraints imposed by mechanosynthesis. Basic capabilities provided by mechanosynthesis. Preview: molecular manufacturing and reliability constraints. Summary of the comparison.       8.4. Reactive species          Overview. Ionic species. Unsaturated hydrocarbons. Carbon radicals. Carbenes. Organometallic reagents.       8.5. Forcible mechanochemical processes          Overview. General considerations. Tensile bond cleavage. Abstraction. Alkene and alkyne radical additions. Pi-bond torsion. Radical displacements. Carbene additions and insertions. Alkene and alkyne cycloadditions. Transition-metal reactions.       8.6. Mechanosynthesis of diamondoid structures          Why examine the synthesis of diamond? Why examine multiple synthesis strategies? Diamond surfaces. Stepwise synthesis processes. Strand deposition processes. Cluster-based strategies. Toward less diamondlike diamondoids. Mechanosynthesis of nondiamondoid structures.       8.7. Conclusions    	    	  PART II. COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS  Chapter 9. Nanoscale Structural Components      9.1. Overview      9.2. Components in context      9.3. Materials and models for nanoscale components          Classes of materials. Materials vs. molecular structures. The bounded continuum approach.       9.4. Surface effects on component properties          Materials and stiffness. Assigning sizes. Computational experiments on rod modulus.       9.5. Shape control in irregular structures          Control of shape and detail of specification. Estimates of the number of diamondoid structures. Exclusion of structures by geometrical constraints. Exclusion of structures by molecular binding requirements. Kaehler brackets.       9.6. Components of high rotational symmetry          Strained-shell structures. Curved-shell structures. Special-case structures.       9.7. Adhesive interfaces          Van der Waals attraction and interlocking structures. Ionic and hydrogen bonding. Covalent interfacial bonding.       9.8. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 10. Mobile Interfaces and Moving Parts      10.1. Overview      10.2. Spatial Fourier transforms of nonbonded potentials          Barrier heights and sums of sinusoids.       10.3. Sliding of irregular objects over regular surfaces          Motivation: a random-walk model of barrier heights. A Monte Carlo analysis of barrier heights. Implications for constraints on structure. Energy dissipation models. Static friction. Coupled sites.       10.4. Symmetrical sleeve bearings          Models of symmetrical sleeve bearings. Spatial frequencies and symmetry operations. Properties of unloaded bearings. Properties of loaded bearings. Bearing stiffness in the transverse-continuum approximation. Mechanisms of energy dissipation. Sleeve bearings in molecular detail. Less symmetrical sleeve bearings.       10.5. Further applications of sliding-interface bearings          Nuts and screws. Rods in sleeves. Constant force springs.       10.6. Atomic-axle bearings          Bonded bearings. Atomic-point bearings.       10.7. Gears, rollers, belts, and cams          Spur gears. Helical gears. Rack-and-pinion gears and roller bearings. Bevel gears. Worm gears. Belt-and-roller systems. Cams. Planetary gear systems.       10.8. Barriers in extended systems          Sliding of irregular objects over irregular surfaces.       10.9. Dampers, detents, clutches, and ratchets          Dampers. Detents. Clutches. Ratchets and reversibility.       10.10. Perspective: nanomachines and macromachines          Similarities between nanomachines and macromachines. Differences between nanomachines and macromachines.       10.11. Bounded continuum models revisited      10.12. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 11. Intermediate Subsystems      11.1. Overview      11.2. Mechanical measurement devices          Well partitioning and indicator latching. Force discrimination. Shape and position discrimination. Reliability through iterated measurements.       11.3. Stiff, high gear-ratio mechanisms          Harmonic drives. Toroidal worm drives.       11.4. Fluids, seals, and pumps          Fluid micromechanics. Walls and seals. Pumps and vacuum systems.       11.5. Convective cooling systems          Murray's Law and fractal plumbing. Coolant design. Cooling capacity in a macroscopic volume.       11.6. Electromechanical devices Conducting paths          Insulating layers and tunneling contacts. Modulated tunneling junctions. Electrostatic actuators. Electrostatic motors.       11.7. DC motors and generators          Charge carriers and charge density. Electrode charging mechanism. Motor power and power density. Energy dissipation and efficiency. Motor start-up. Speed regulation.       11.8. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 12. Nanomechanical Computational Systems      12.1. Overview      12.2. Digital signal transmission with mechanical rods          Electronic analogies. Signal propagation speed.       12.3. Gates and logic rods          Electronic analogies. Components and general kinematics. A bounded continuum model. Dynamics and energy dissipation in mobile rods. Dynamics and energy dissipation in blocked rods. Fluctuations in stored energy. Thermal excitation and error rates. Summary observations based on the exemplar calculations.       12.4. Registers          Kinematics of an efficient class of register. Device size and packing. Energy dissipation estimates. Fluctuations in stored energy.       12.5. Combinational logic and finite-state machines          Finite-state machine structure and kinematics. Finite-state machine timing and alternatives. Fan-in, fan-out, and geometric issues. Signal propagation with acoustic transmission lines.       12.6. Survey of other devices and subsystems          Gates for non-PLA combinational logic. Carry chains. Random-access memory. Mass storage systems. Interfaces to macroscale systems.       12.7. CPU-scale systems: clocking and power supply          Clocking based on oscillating drive rods. A CPU-scale drive system architecture. Energy flows and clock skew. Power requirements. Power supply and energy buffering.       12.8. Cooling and computational capacity      12.9. Conclusion    	    	  Chapter 13. Molecular Sorting, Processing, and Assembly      13.1. Overview      13.2. Sorting and ordering molecules          Modulated receptors for selective transport. Cascades of modulated receptors. Ordered input streams.       13.3. Transformation and assembly with molecular mills          Reactive encounters using belt and roller systems. Interfacing mechanisms. Reagent preparation. Reagent application. Size and mass estimates. Error rates and fail-stop systems. Estimates of energy dissipation. Mechanochemical power generation.       13.4. Assembly operations using molecular manipulators          A bounded-continuum design for a stiff manipulator. Self-aligning tips and compliant manipulators. Error rates and sensitivities. Larger manipulator mechanisms.       13.5. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 14. Molecular Manufacturing Systems      14.1. Overview      14.2. Assembly operations at intermediate scales          Joining building blocks. Reliability issues.       14.3. Architectural issues          Combining parts to make large systems. Delivering products to an external environment. Redundancy, reliability, and system lifetimes.       14.4. An exemplar manufacturing-system architecture          General approach. Products, building blocks, and assembly sequences. Throughput, delays, and internal inventories. Mass and volume. System lifetime. Feedstock materials. Byproducts. Energy output and dissipation. Information requirements. Manufacture of manufacturing systems.       14.5. Comparison to conventional manufacturing          Feedstocks and energy requirements. Byproducts and recycling. Internal component sizes and frequencies. Productivity. Some feasible product characteristics. Manufacturing costs.       14.6. Design and complexity          Part counts and automation in design and computation. Design of components and small systems. Automated generation of synthesis and assembly procedures. Shape description languages and part arrays. Compilers. Relative complexities.       14.7. Conclusions    	    	  PART III IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES  Chapter 15. Macromolecular Engineering      15.1. Overview      15.2. Macromolecular objects via biotechnology          Motivation. DNA, RNA, and protein. Protein folding: prediction vs. design. Rational design and evolutionary approaches. Material and device properties.       15.3. Macromolecular objects via solution synthesis          Motivation. Basic design principles. Alternatives to standard proteins. Strategies for stabilizing specific folds. Consequences for design. Trade-offs and applications.       15.4. Macromolecular objects via mechanosynthesis          Motivation. Tip-array geometry and forces. Molecular tips and supports in AFM. Attachment of supporting molecules. Imaging with molecular tips. Solution-phase mechanosynthesis. Summary.       15.5. Conclusions    	    	  Chapter 16. Paths to Molecular Manufacturing      16.1. Overview      16.2. Backward chaining to identify strategies          Forward vs. backward chaining. Evaluating paths to molecular manufacturing. Overview of the backward chain.       16.3. Smaller, simpler systems (stages 3–4)          Macroscopic via microscopic manufacturing systems. Acoustic power and control. Simpler manipulators. Inert internal environment. Sorting and ordering molecules. Minimal diamondoid-material systems.       16.4. Softer, smaller, solution-phase systems (stages 2–3)          Diamondoid via nondiamondoid systems. Inert environments from solvent-based systems. Solution-synthesized pressure-threshold actuators. Smaller liquid-based mechanisms.       16.5. Development time: some considerations          Determinants of the development time. Stage 1a: Brownian assembly of medium-scale blocks. Stage 1b: Mechanosynthetic assembly of small building blocks. Stage 2: First-generation solution-based systems. Stage 3: Inert environments, diamondoid materials.       16.6. Conclusions    	    	  Appendix A. Methodological Issues in Theoretical Applied Science      A.1. The role of theoretical applied science      A.2. Basic issues          Establishing upper vs. lower bounds. Are there objective, physical limits to device performance? Certainties, probabilities, and possibilities.       A.3. Science, engineering, and theoretical applied science          Science and engineering. Engineering vs. theoretical applied science.       A.4. Issues in theoretical applied science          Product manufacturability. Product performance. Direct experimentation. Accurate modeling. Physical specification. Confidence despite reduced detail. Unique answers (and confidence from "uncertainty"). Reliable reasoning.       A.5. A sketch of some epistemological issues          Philosophy of science (i.e., of physics). Philosophy of engineering. Philosophy of theoretical applied science.       A.6. Theoretical applied science as intellectual scaffolding          Scaffolding for molecular manufacturing.       A.7. Conclusions    	    	  Appendix B. Related Research      B.1. Overview      B.2. How related fields have been divided          Scientific goals vs. technological goals. Top-down vs. bottom-up approaches. Immediate goals vs. long-term prospects.       B.3. Mechanical engineering and microtechnology      B.4. Chemistry      B.5. Molecular biology      B.6. Protein engineering      B.7. Proximal probe technologies      B.8. Feynman's 1959 talk      B.9. Conclusions   Afterword  Symbols, Units, and Constants  Glossary  References