Moleculari

Moleculari is a term used in some disciplines to describe the study and application of information processing and data storage at the molecular level. It encompasses research that views molecules and molecular assemblies as carriers and manipulators of information, extending ideas from molecular electronics, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology.

The field spans chemistry, physics, and computer science and focuses on designing and analyzing systems in which molecular structure, dynamics, or interactions encode, process, or transmit information. It often emphasizes scalability from single molecules to ensembles and the interfaces between molecular and macroscopic behavior.

Key areas include DNA-based circuits and computing, molecular switches and machines, synthetic polymers with programmable states, and materials that alter their optical, electronic, or mechanical properties in response to chemical or physical signals.

Researchers use methods such as single-molecule spectroscopy, electron and scanning probe microscopy, fluorescence imaging, and computational modeling to explore how molecular components can perform logic operations, store bits of information, or operate as responsive elements.

Potential applications include high-density data storage, smart materials, nanoscale sensing, and biointegrated systems. The field faces challenges related to error rates, energy efficiency, operating conditions, fabrication reproducibility, and integration with conventional technologies.

Etymology and usage vary by community; moleculari appears as a neologism combining molecular concepts with the Latin plural suffix -i in some papers to denote a field or collection of approaches.