Scientists from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology, Switzerland’s IBM Research Europe, and Spain’s University of Santiago de Compostela have revealed new prospects in molecular modification.
The team demonstrated how to remove individual atoms from a molecule using a scanning tunneling microscope, opening up possibilities for drug development and plastic recycling.
It is worth noting that modifying molecules —the process of adding, removing, or replacing atoms —is crucial for synthesizing new chemical compounds . Such precision is essential in the pharmaceutical industry for creating copies of molecules that enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. It can also aid in plastic recycling and waste reduction. The researchers used scanning tunneling microscopes and atomic force microscopes at -268 degrees Celsius.
Organic molecules containing twenty carbon atoms and one oxygen atom were applied in a supervacuum to a copper surface coated with sodium chloride films. By manipulating the molecules under a microscope, scientists were able to precisely remove one oxygen atom while preserving the carbon atoms. This process could accelerate the creation of new molecules and alter their properties.
Shantanu Mishra, an assistant professor at Chalmers University of Technology, noted that the results have opened up possibilities for synthesizing molecules at atomic precision. Scientists plan to use the methodology in the future to create unstable molecules that are not susceptible to conventional reactions.
The process of precisely modifying molecules will allow for new possibilities to develop more effective and safer drugs and materials, as well as recycling plastics and reducing waste.
The research was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
(Journal of the American Chemical Society)
