Superatoms: How atomically precise nanoclusters could replace toxic and costly elements in materials
By
James Mitchell Crow
Summary
This article explores the emerging field of superatoms — atomically precise nanoclusters that can mimic the chemical properties of individual elements, potentially replacing toxic, rare, or expensive elements in materials. James Mitchell Crow reports on how researchers are engineering these nanoclusters to behave like specific atoms (e.g., mimicking arsenic or platinum) without the associated toxicity or cost drawbacks. The piece covers the science behind superatom design, their tunable electronic properties, and their potential applications in next-generation solar materials, catalysis, and other functional materials. It represents a new "third dimension" of the periodic table, where clusters of atoms collectively exhibit chemistry that resembles single atoms of different elements.
Source
bskySuperatoms: How atomically precise nanoclusters could replace toxic and costly elements in materialschemistryworld.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledNext generation thin-film solar materials, for example, have been hampered by a reliance on toxic elements such as arsenic or lead.
Palladium, platinum and rhodium often make exceptional catalysts, but their rela
James Mitchell Crow reports on the emerging third dimension of the periodic table
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