New polymer inspired by crystalline silicon to build better computers and solar cells
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

One of the challenges in making new electronic devices is the chemistry required to assemble the layers that make up the device. In this research, a new synthetic chemistry approach produces ultra-small materials that resemble a fragment of the semiconductor silicon. The process uses a precisely defined pattern of reactive sites, or chemical `hooks.` The hooks control the structure as the material, a polymer, grows. Being able to create small pieces of silicon-like materials may make it easier to manufacture designer electronic circuits with properties tuned for specific uses.