Lasers used to create new compounds
20 May 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have used lasers to manipulate atoms in hydrocarbons.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have used lasers to manipulate atoms in hydrocarbons.
Ultrashort laser pulses were used to remove an outer hydrogen atom from one end of acetylene and place it at the other end of the molecule, where it reattached to another hydrogen atom, creating vinylidene. The lasers pulses last a few femtoseconds and it is hoped this method could lead to new products being synthesised.
Professor Matthias Kling, leader of the Ultrafast Nanophotonics group at the Institute, said: “Our experiments have shown that we are not only able to direct electrons in the microcosm, but also hydrogen atoms, which are about 2000 times heavier.”
The researchers were able to choose from either the left or right side of the acetylene molecule to take the hydrogen atom from. Positive results were also recorded when the team attempted the same technique on allene, a larger hydrocarbon molecule.
Kling said: “We hope we will be able to take apart various kinds of substances in the future and put them back together at will.”
Possible implications of this research could be light-driven chemical synthesis. This would have particular appeal to both the medicinal and drug design field.
The research was published in Physical Review Letters.
