Membrane Media Create Small Nanospaces for Molecular Computation

Abstract

Molecular computation is fashionable because of the small device sizes that should be possible. For instance, information processing in nanospaces is widespread in biology. However, experimental cases with computing molecules occupy rather large volumes until now (ca. 1012 nm3). Now we demonstrate small-scale computation using a designed logic gate in spheres of 3 nm radius (volume = ca. 102 nm3) which are produced by detergent micelles. The logic gate accommodated in the small nanospace fluoresces only when both H+ and Na+ ions are available.