Structural isomerization of individual molecules using a scanning tunneling microscope probe

An international research team has succeeded for the first time in controlling the chirality of individual molecules through structural isomerization. The team, led by NIMS, the Osaka University Graduate School of Science and the Kanazawa University Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), also succeeded in synthesizing highly reactive diradicals with two unpaired electrons. They accomplished these tasks using a scanning tunneling microscope probe at low temperatures.