IBM Shows Us Images Of Molecules Like We’ve Never Seen Before
The IBM Research group behind molecular electronics in Zurich recently released these beautiful images of molecules in a way that we haven’t seen before. They show ties between atoms in such beautiful detail. It’s interesting to note how even in nature, at either a microscopic level or to something greather like a honeycomb, the strongest polygonal shape is naturally always the hexagon.
From the description in the full gallery, it appears they were primarily taken with different types of atomic force microscopes.
So besides this being really impressive, what does this mean for them and for us?
Smart Planet writes:
New molecular images from the company’s Zurich research lab show atomic bonds in detail. IBM will use images like this to better figure out what’s hindering graphene, the super material that could revolutionize everything from electronics to construction and architecture. Graphene suffers from bond-related defects
Recently discovered graphene is a one-atom thin sheet of carbon that has the strength of a super hero and could move electrons 100 times faster than today’s silicon semiconductors. It has garnered interest from across many industries.
IBM says that closer examination of graphene bonds is “important for research on novel electronic devices, organic solar cells, and organic light-emitting diodes.”
[Via Smart Planet and Flickr]
