By: Darryl K. Taft, eWeek
IBM announced that its researchers have found a way to differentiate chemical bonds in individual molecules, a discovery that could lead to further nanotechnology breakthroughs. IBM announced that its scientists have been able to differentiate the chemical bonds in individual molecules for the first time using a technique known as noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM). According to Big Blue, the results push the exploration of using molecules and atoms at the smallest scale and could be important for studying graphene devices, which are currently being explored by both industry and academia for applications including high-bandwidth wireless communication and electronic displays. “We found two different contrast mechanisms to distinguish bonds,” said IBM scientist Leo Gross, in a statement. “The first one is based on small differences in the force measured above the bonds. We expected this kind of contrast, but it was a challenge to resolve. The second contrast mechanism really came as a surprise: Bonds appeared with different lengths in AFM measurements.
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