Scientists from the Radboud University have developed synthetic molecules that resemble real organic molecules. A collaboration of researchers, led by Alex Khajetoorians and Daniel Wegner, can now simulate the behavior of real molecules by using artificial molecules. In this way, they can tweak properties of molecules in ways that are normally difficult or unrealistic, and they can understand much better how molecules change.
Their paper is published in the journal Science.
Emil Sierda, who was in charge of conducting the experiments at Radboud University said, “A few years ago we had this crazy idea to build a quantum simulator. We wanted to create artificial molecules that resembled real molecules. So we developed a system in which we can trap electrons. Electrons surround a molecule like a cloud, and we used those trapped electrons to build an artificial molecule.” The results the team found were astonishing. Sierda says, “The resemblance between what we built and real molecules was uncanny.”
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