Institute of Science Tokyo Precisely Designs Nanoscale 'Lantern' Molecules

Explanation

A research group at Institute of Science Tokyo announced that it has chemically and precisely designed a molecular structure resembling a foldable "lantern" at the nanometer scale (June 2, 2026).

The achievement combines "self-assembly," in which molecules spontaneously form ordered shapes, with technology that controls three-dimensional structures exactly as intended. It is expected to be applied to new functional materials and to drug delivery systems that transport medicine to targeted locations within the body. Freely controlling the "shape" of small molecules is a central challenge in nanotechnology.