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Wednesday, 17th May 2006 (6184 views)

Scientists in the US have reported the discovery that gold atoms are capable of forming hollow molecular structures that could be used for carrying other atoms, a quality that was previously only attributed to carbon.

The carbon 'buckyball' was discovered in the 1980s and was instrumental for the whole science of nanotechnology, which has been growing rapidly since the millennium.

An optimum number of pure carbon atoms – 60 – will form a spherical cage with a structure similar to a football that is remarkably strong and resilient to high-speed collisions with other materials.

A research team from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Nebraska, headed by Lai Shen Wang, has now discovered that gold particles will form spheres of 16 to 18 atoms.

"This is the first time that a hollow cage made of metal has been experimentally proved," said Lai Shen Wang. The team discovered the metal's property while investigating the characteristics of gold nanoparticles.

Although solid gold has few reactive qualities, gold atoms are highly reactive, amplify other materials' properties, and are good catalysts in a number of reactions.

By introducing another atom to the centre of the gold buckyball, something the research team has yet to try, materials with unusual qualities could be created that could open new potential for medical or optical applications.

 

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