Recognition
One way in which a material can be smart is to react only under certain conditions. Another way materials can be smart is to permit separation of substances to which the material is exposed. Materials can also be smart based on molecular recognition capabilities that permit them to respond to particular chemical or electromagnetic perturbations or stimuli.
We mentioned nanotube and nanowire growth from single crystals in Chapter 4. This is a matter of recognition—the different components of the nanowire first recognize the seed crystal, which is placed in their midst, and then recognize each other. In this way, the solid nanowire expands into a bathing solution, in exactly the same way that an icicle expands by freezing water on its ...
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