First superatom molecules pave way for new breed of electronics

Discussion in 'General Science & Technology' started by Plazma Inferno!, Aug 1, 2016.

  1. Plazma Inferno! Ding Ding Ding Ding Administrator

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    Superatoms – clusters of atoms that have the power to mimic the properties of other elements – have been linked up to make molecules for the first time. These could be the building blocks for advanced magnetic materials and electronics.
    Chemists began building superatoms when they discovered that certain arrangements of atoms can behave like scaled-up versions of a single atom of a different kind. These superatoms pool their electrons into shells around a central core, and since such shells determine the chemical properties of an atom, the superatom takes on those characteristics.
    Now a team at Columbia University, New York, has taken the concept one step further by constructing pairs or trios of superatoms – the simplest kind of superatom molecule possible.
    They built the core of their superatoms out of six cobalt and eight selenium atoms, then added arms, or ligands, made from a variety of other atoms. These ligands are designed to fit together, mimicking a chemical bond at the super-scale.
    The team plans to build large assemblages of superatoms with these tailored properties, which could provide the basis for new kinds of electronics and sensors.

    https://www.newscientist.com/articl...ecules-pave-way-for-new-breed-of-electronics/
     
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  3. quantum_wave Contemplating the "as yet" unknown Valued Senior Member

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    That is exciting, and exemplifies just one more problem with getting old. So many developments ahead, amazing science, that will continue to unfold through new discoveries in the future, which we will miss. But imagining what new electronics might result from advances like these, and some educated speculating, is one way to appreciate ideas about them in our day.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2016
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