Nanoscale Surgery: Reshaping Molecules Atom by Atom

Skeletal editing—the precise modification of a molecule's internal framework—is currently garnering significant attention in drug discovery and green chemistry. While this process typically occurs within liquid solutions containing billions of molecules, researchers have now successfully miniaturised the technique to the ultimate limit: the single-molecule scale.

In a groundbreaking experiment, scientists utilised the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope to manipulate an oxygen-containing molecule resting on a bilayer of sodium chloride (NaCl). By applying a specific stimulus through the tip, they induced a reaction that removed an oxygen atom and forced the molecule’s seven-membered ring to contract. This 'tip-induced' chemistry successfully transformed the original structure into a molecule containing a perylene skeleton.

The team verified their results with atomic precision using atomic force microscopy and backed their findings with density functional theory calculations to understand the underlying mechanisms. This work significantly expands the toolbox available for constructing complex materials atom by atom, offering a glimpse into a future of hyper-precise molecular manufacturing.