Research carried out by Dr Andrei Khlobystov and his co-workers in Nottingham and at the University of Ulm has been highlighted in Chemistry World. A powerful imaging technique has been used to record real time movies of molecular dynamics and to follow a chemical reaction at the atomic scale.
The observation has been made possible by combining transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using low energy electrons, below the knock-on damage threshold, and spherical aberration-corrector allowing visualisation of molecules with sub-Å resolution.
Carbon nanotubes have been utilised in this study as reaction vessels. Individual Dy-atoms readily catalyse polymerisation of fullerene molecules inside nanotube, followed by aggregation of the metal atoms into a cluster. Once the cluster is formed, catalytic activity of dysprosium appears to be enhanced as the nanotube sidewall, whose inside is believed to be chemically inert, starts caving in as a result of interactions with Dy-cluster. Eventually the nanotube is ruptured, but it does not stay open for long as carbon atoms at the edge of the aperture rearrange quickly to form a cap sealing off the nanotube end.
This is study was published in Angewandte Chemie, International Edition 2010, 49 , 193-196 and a full movie of the chemical reaction can be watched on
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