Scientists used a scanning tunneling microscope to do this.
A group of specialists led by Dr. Florian Albrecht of the IBM research laboratory in Zurich was able to develop a method for synthesizing complex molecules.
So, using the same molecule, the scientists obtained three different elements of complex structures.
For this development, they used a sample of the molecule, which was placed in the area of a scanning tunneling microscope. The tip of the microscope applied a weak pulse charge that broke the molecule into four atoms.
The scientists then obtained the structure of the birradical molecule, which contained six free electrons. These electrons were then used to create new bonds between the atoms.
The advantage of this method is the reversibility of the molecules to their original state.
The new development will help subsequent researchers track the chemical process of organic compounds.
For example, such a method demonstrates chemical bond control in the development of catalysts for redox reactions.
It is still too early to use such a technique on an industrial scale, the researchers claim, but it is already useful for creating new molecular machines.