The atoms in a molecule have been visualizing for the first time via an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). This scientific achievement of the IBM lab in Zurich (Switzerland) is a milestone in the field of nanotechnology and molecular electronics and an advance in the development and improvement of the performance of electronic devices, says the company.
The molecule is the pentacene (C22H14), consisting of five benzene rings linked to form an aromatic chain, which is a candidate to be used in new organic semiconductors.
This achievement, which was published in the journal Science, follows another study published in the same magazine two months ago when the team measured the loading of the atoms with the same type of microscope. This may investigate how the load is transmitted through the molecules or molecular networks. In addition, researchers have managed to discover that the repulsive force that has allowed them to obtain sufficient contrast for the image comes from so-called quantum effect of Pauli exclusion principle.
In recent years, had succeeded in defining nanostructures on the atomic scale and has now been possible to show the chemical structure of a molecule with atomic resolution, seeing individual atoms, said the researcher Gerhard Meyer, according to which one might consider this fact similar to the ability to overcome a soft tissue X-ray to get a clear picture of the bones.
It represents a significant advance in the development of molecular electronics as to increase the performance of electronic devices, computers or mobile phones, and reduce its size, it should work on atomic structures, using tools to view and manipulate matter scale.
