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Title: Single molecule pictured for the first time.
Source:
Dailymail
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet ... -grain-sand-pictured-time.html
Published: Aug 29, 2009
Author: Claire Bates
Post Date: 2009-08-29 21:38:01 by Armadillo
Keywords: molecule, atomic, picture, pentacene
Views: 307
Comments: 10
This is very cool. It may look like a piece of honeycomb, but this lattice-shaped image is the first ever close-up view of a single molecule. Scientists from IBM used an atomic force microscope (AFM) to reveal the chemical bonds within a molecule. 'This is the first time that all the atoms in a molecule have been imaged,' lead researcher Leo Gross said. pentacene The delicate inner structure of a pentacene molecule has been imaged with an atomic force microscope The researchers focused on a single molecule of pentacene, which is commonly used in solar cells. The rectangular-shaped organic molecule is made up of 22 carbon atoms and 14 hydrogen atoms. 
In the image above the hexagonal shapes of the five carbon rings are clear and even the positions of the hydrogen atoms around the carbon rings can be seen. To give some perspective, the space between the carbon rings is only 0.14 nanometers across, which is roughly one million times smaller than the diameter of a grain of sand.
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#3. To: Armadillo (#0)
Is it possible that a structure so perfect could be the result of chaos or an accident ?
In my opinion, the clockwork universe implys a watchmaker.
Ditto. I once heard a nuclear scientist state: "to believe that an explosion and the resultant chaos created this universe is tantamount to believing a tornado could hit a junk yard and build a space shuttle" !!!
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#5. To: noone222 (#3)
Is it possible that a structure so perfect could be the result of chaos or an accident ?
I believe in God, and I also have loved science all my life. I think science and modern religion are wonderfully complimentary.
#6. To: Armadillo (#5)
I think science and modern religion are wonderfully complimentary.
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