CHEMISTS in Utah have discovered carbon-to-carbon bonds twice the length of
any seen before. Joel Miller at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City found
the long bonds in tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and also in eight related compounds.
Measuring 0.28 to 0.31 nanometres, the links were double the length of the bonds
in diamond— usually considered the limit. In the online journal
Angewandte Chemie, Miller described how his team discovered the bond in a
TCNE dimer—two molecules joined together. “There’s this special
interaction between the central atoms,” he said. “It’s two electrons spread over
four carbon atoms.”
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles