Adamantane nanotechnology applications

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful nanotechnology tool for molecular imaging and manipulations. One major factor limiting resolution in AFM to observe individual biomolecules such as DNA is the low sharpness of the AFM tip that scans the sample. Nanoscale 1,3,5,7-tetrasubstituted adamantane is found to serve as the molecular tip for AFM and may also find application in chemically well-defined objects for calibration of commercial AFM tips [113]. 

The unique structure of adamantane is reflected in its highly unusual physical and chemical properties, which can have many applications in nanotechnology, as do the diamond nanosized crystals, with a number of differences. The carbon skeleton of adamantane comprises a cage structure, which may be used for encapsulation of other compounds, such as drugs for drug delivery. Because of this, adamantane and other diamondoids are commonly known as cage hydrocarbons. In a broader sense they may be described as saturated, polycyclic, cagefike hydrocarbons. 

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