Helical automated fabrication

[Kragen Javier Sitaker]

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 09:06:13 +0200, Eugen Leitl wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 11, 2006 at 05:54:34PM -0400, Kragen Javier Sitaker wrote:
> > On Thu, 7 Sep 2006 09:57:40 +0200, Eugen Leitl wrote:
> > > This also works on nanoscale, but even better. A cumulene
> > > extruded through a (fluorine-terminated) carbon nanotube lumen
> > > would polymerize into a wide range of polymers (diamond included)
> > > under numerical (6DOF, or just 3DOF) control.
> > 
> > Can I forward this to kragen-discuss?  Is this theoretical, or has it
> > been tried?
> 
> It's theoretical, but cumulenes do polymerize, and just how
> is dictated by geometry, which is under very good control (basically,
> no degrees of freedom) at a carbon-nanotube (fluorine-terminated,
> preferrably) lumen terminus, and a flat (HOPG, or diamond) surface.
> 
> Feel free to forward it, but I doubt it will produce much additional
> information.

(sending to list now)

Why is it theoretical?  What are the obstacles to trying it?