Tellurium makes the difference: Unusual molecular structures
Thursday, August 6, 2020 - 15:01
in Physics & Chemistry
The periodic system contains 118 chemical elements. However, only a few of them are of major importance in our daily lives. An international research group has now discovered astonishing and beautiful molecular structures when they used the element tellurium in ring-shaped hydrocarbon molecules. These compounds are distinguished by the fact that they are arranged in the crystal to form highly symmetrical tubes that interact with each other via the tellurium atoms.