Potential Applications of Molecular Logic

Computing devices based on (supra)molecular species and “soft” matter represent a radically different approach to information processing with respect to computers made from solid-state semiconductors. Comparisons between these types of systems should therefore be made with care and, for certain aspects, may not make much sense. It seems fair to state, however, that the examples described here represent cases of simple computation tasks that molecules can do and silicon cannot. Certainly, investigations on “intelligent” molecules capable of elaborating signals introduce new concepts in the field of chemistry and stimulate the ingenuity of researchers engaged in the bottom-up approach to nanodevices.