To work up a better shape of armour , a group of chemists have created a mote that search like a six - pointed “ Star of David . ” When gazillion of these molecules knit themselves together , the resolution could become the lightest , strongest shielding the world has ever know .
paradigm of the molecule via David Leigh ’s lab
A mathematical group of pill pusher report their find this week in Nature Chemistry , explaining that their ace molecule was based on particle line up in the light , tough shells of viruses . They in reality hit on this idea after steep themselves in eld of research done by chemists trying to knit molecules together . They realized that mayhap they should build up mote that naturally interweave as they assemble .
Over at the Washington Post , Rachel Feltman writes :
But learning how to make interweave molecules is a challenge,[chemist David ] Leighsaid — one that chemists have been working at for over 25 years . The trick his team used was to let the atom assemble themselves .
“ Most have strain to take linear molecules and twist them around each other , ” Leigh said , “ But we choose our edifice engine block very cautiously . ”
The shape is made of two molecular Triangulum that interweave with each other three times , make a star with a perimeterof only 114 mote . Instead of having to bend the triangles into place , the apothecary chose triangles that would interweave on their own as they formed . “ Nature does the same matter to tack the dual helix in DNA , ” Leigh said .
Read the full scientific article fromNature Chemistry
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