Researchers create the most tightly knotted physical structure ever

A team of researchers at The University of Manchester led by Professor David Leigh in Manchester’s School of Chemistry have been successful in producing the most complex regular woven molecule. They braided multiple molecular strands such that the tightest knot has eight crossings in a 192-atom closed loop — which is about 20 nanometres long. The team used a technique called “self-assembly,” which means just like knitting, the molecular strands are woven around metal ions at crossing points and the loose ends are secured by a chemical catalyst to form a complete knot. They believe that using this technology can help in developing a new generation of super-strong and flexible materials.

Read more in Science Daily.