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Molecules Spontaneously Form Honycomb

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the just-a-push-in-the-right-direction dept.

Science Daily is reporting that University of California Researchers have discovered a new process in which molecules assemble into complex patterns without any outside guidance. From the article: "Spreading anthraquinone, a common and inexpensive chemical, on to a flat copper surface, Greg Pawin, a chemistry graduate student working in the laboratory of Ludwig Bartels, associate professor of chemistry, observed the spontaneous formation of a two-dimensional honeycomb network comprised of anthraquinone molecules."

3 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Honeycombs Big? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Honeycombs Big?

    1. Re:Honeycombs Big? by slapyslapslap · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, no, no!

  2. Re:Really cool, but surprising? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As cool as this is, what part of this is "news?"

    You must have missed this part:

    Anthraquinone molecules, however, form chains that weave themselves into a sheet of hexagons on the copper surface, forming a network similar to chicken wire.

    Obviously this is big news to farmers who raise little tiny chickens.