James Tour

Dr. Tour received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Syracuse University, his Ph.D. in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry at Purdue University, and postdoctoral training in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of Wisconsin and Stanford University. After spending 11 years on the faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina, he joined the Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University where he is presently the Chao Professor of Chemistry. Tour^Òs scientific research areas include molecular electronics, chemical self-assembly, chemical self-replication, conjugated oligomers, electroactive polymers, combinatorial routes to precise oligomers, polymeric sensors, flame retarding polymer additives, carbon nanotube modification, DNA-promoted assembly for synthetic molecules, synthesis of molecular motors and nanotrucks, and methods for retarding chemical terrorist attacks. Tour is a co-founder and Director of Molecular Electronics Corp. He has served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University in 1994; on the Chemical Reviews Editorial Advisory Board, September 1999 to present; California Molecular Electronics Corporation, Technical Advisory Committee, August 1998 to November 1999; the National Defense Science Study Group, 1997 to 1999; the Governor^Òs Mathematics and Science Advisory Board for South Carolina, September 1996 to June 1998; in addition to numerous other professional committees and panels. Tour has won several national awards including the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award in Polymer Chemistry and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in Polymer Chemistry.

Constructing a Computer from Molecular Components

James M. Tour
Chao Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology,
Rice University
P.O. Box 1892, MS 222, Houston, Texas 77251-1892
Email: tour@rice.edu
Web: http://www.jmtour.com

Research efforts directed toward constructing a molecular computer will be described. Routes will be outlined from the synthesis of the basic building blocks such as wires and alligator clips, to the assembly of the entire CPU. Specific achievements include: (1) isolation of single molecules in alkane thiolate self-assembled monolayers and addressing them with an STM probe, (2) single molecule conductance measurements using a mechanically controllable break junction, (3) 30 nm bundles, approximately 1000 molecules, of precisely tailored molecular structures showing negative differential resistance with peak-to-valley responses far exceeding those for solid state devices, (4) dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) constructed from 1000 molecule units that possess 10 minute information hold times at room temperature, (5) demonstration of single-molecule switching events and (6) initial assemblies of molecular CPUs.

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