Molecule fragment

Moieties are the smallest building blocks handeded in the advanced mechanosynthesis of technology level III and II. When a simple resource molecule is picked up with an empty tooltip one always ends up with a few atoms on the tooltip. Some bonds need to be broken open to make it a reactive radical ready for deposition. It is generally not necessary to prepare the picked up molecule down until only one atom is left. That is in most cases one does not put down single atoms but small moieties (always bond molecules). Most often unused bonds are left hydrogen capped and and only one or two bonds are actively used - the one to the tooltip and the one to the workpiece. Hydrogen and oxygen with one and two bonds respectively are subject for single atomic deposition. The heavier elements of the same groups - the halogenes calcogenes - too.

simple respurce molecules

For mechanosynthesis of diamond ethyne C₂H₂ methane CH₄ and traces of digermane Ge₂H₆ can be used. This has been toroughly analyzed.

Further molecules of prime interest are carbon dioxide CO₂ water H₂O and nitrogen gas N₂. The capability of handling those allows for tapping the air as a resource for products that (almost) exclusively contain diamondoid molecular elements out of hydrogen carbon oxygen and nitrogen (HCON).

From the metals Aluminum and Titanium would be of interest.

Resource molecules for other elements should preferentially be non or at least low toxic and easy to handle.

• for boron: B₂H₆ diborane is toxic and reacts with water to
  B(OH)₃ boric acid which is pretty harmless and thus a better resource
• for fluorine: SF₆ sulfur hexafluoride very heavy pretty inert gas, soluble in ethanol
  the sulfur can be used ore disposed as diluted sulfuric acid
• for aluminum: ?
• for silicon: silicic acid self polymerizes and is thus not suitable
  SiH₄ [1] seems better but it's quite toxic, higher silans tend to be explosive
• for phosphorus: PH₃ phosphine seems too toxic
  H₃O₄P phosphoric acid seems good
• for sulfur: CS₂ carbon disulfide soluble in ethanol (toxic)
• for chlorine: dissolved table salt NaCl - or diluted hydrochloric acid