Nanowires, used in sensors, transistors,
optoelectronic devices and other systems that require subatomic
preciseness, like to stick together. Untangling electrical wires
can be a difficult task—imagine trying to separate out wires 1/1000
the width of a human hair. The self-attraction of nanowires has
been a major problem for quality and efficient bulk fabrication,
with the potential to catastrophically short-circuit nanowire-based
devices, but researchers in China have now revealed why the
components cling to one each other.
