One Single H2O Molecule Trapped In C60
Sunday, September 4, 2011 - 12:20
in Physics & Chemistry
Although we often see isolated water molecules in textbooks, in reality they rarely exist as hermits. They are not only small, but an oxygen atom of one water particle covets the hydrogen atoms of neighboring molecules. But this summer(2011), Japanese researchers from Kyoto University published that they had performed the feat. They synthesized an open-cage C60 derivative, one whose opening could be made bigger at 120 oC, and then at high pressure , a single H2O molecule was admitted. The cage was closed, and H2O was trapped. Single-crystal x-ray analysis, along with its physical and spectroscopic properties confirmed the structure of H2O@C60.read more