Nanoscale Wrench Hunting for a Chemical Bolt (VIDEO)
Caption
Like a wrench hunting for a bolt, this computer simulation, created by University of Vermont chemist Jianing Li, shows a pillarene ring getting found and embraced by a larger chemical structure. The Vermont chemistry team made models of both pieces and then, programmed with Newton's equations, watched how they interacted on a supercomputer at UVM's Vermont Advanced Computing Core. The take-home message: once the wrench attaches to the bolt -- it stays there, holding its shape. This team's discovery allows them to precisely control nanoscale shapes and holds promise as a highly accurate and fast method of creating customized molecules -- one of the foundational needs for making a new generation of complex synthetic materials, including polymers and medicines.
Credit
Jianing Li, UVM
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