Chemistry Breakthrough Offers Unprecedented Control Over Atomic Bonds

"In what's being hailed as an important first for chemistry, an international team of scientists has developed a new technology that can selectively rearrange atomic bonds within a single molecule," reports New Atlas. "The breakthrough allows for an unprecedented level of control over chemical bonds within these structures, and could open up some exciting possibilities in what's known as molecular machinery."

"Selective chemistry, the ability to steer reactions at will and to form exactly the chemical bonds you want and no others, is a long-standing quest in chemistry." The team used scanning probe microscopy to achieve this level of selectivity. The tip of the scanning probe microscope was used to apply the voltages to the single molecule. We were able to break those bonds and forge new ones to switch back and forth between the different structures. The atoms in our experiment were arranged in space in different ways. Today's findings were featured on the cover of science. It is the first demonstration of its kind. Our understanding of chemical reactions has been improved by it. Imagine rearranging bonds inside a molecule at will, changing one structural isomer into other ones in a controlled manner. The method and system described in this paper can be used to control the direction of the atomic rearrangements.

Thanks to Slashdot reader Grokew for sharing the story!