Page "Molecular nanotechnology" Paragraph 34

At present in 2007 the practice of nanotechnology embraces both stochastic approaches ( in which, for example, supramolecular chemistry creates waterproof pants ) and deterministic approaches wherein single molecules ( created by stochastic chemistry ) are manipulated on substrate surfaces ( created by stochastic deposition methods ) by deterministic methods comprising nudging them with STM or AFM probes and causing simple binding or cleavage reactions to occur.

The dream of a complex, deterministic molecular nanotechnology remains elusive.

Since the mid 1990s, thousands of surface scientists and thin film technocrats have latched on to the nanotechnology bandwagon and redefined their disciplines as nanotechnology.

This has caused much confusion in the field and has spawned thousands of " nano "- papers on the peer reviewed literature.

Most of these reports are extensions of the more ordinary research done in the parent fields.