Chemists devise a way to create a five point knotted molecule
(PhysOrg.com) -- Chemists have for a long time been interested in a type of molecule that is literally tied up into a knot. This is where atoms are bonded together to form strands, which are then twisted around one another in a way that looks very much like a length of rope tied into an everyday knot. Such molecules when used to make whole structures can provide both strength and elasticity. Unfortunately, forcing atoms to bind together in ways that result in knotted molecules has proven to be an especially difficult task; so much so, that until now, no one has been able to make a molecule that has more than three points. Now, researchers at the University of Edinburgh, have figured out a way to create one with five points, as they describe in their paper published in Nature Chemistry, essentially creating what looks like a flat five...