The distribution of outermost shell electrons, known as valence electrons, of organic molecules was experimentally observed for the first time by a team led by Nagoya University in Japan. As the interactions between atoms are governed by the valence electrons, their findings shine light on the fundamental nature of chemical bonds, with implications for pharmacy and chemical engineering. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
The behavior of the electrons in atoms is complex, forming electron orbitals that have different functions depending on their closeness to the nucleus. The inner shell electrons, called core electrons, are used for self-stabilization and do not interact with other atoms. On the other hand, the outer electrons, or valence electrons, define most of the material's properties, especially during bonding with other atoms.
Understanding a material's properties requires extracting information about its valence electrons. However, it has been difficult to experimentally isolate only the valence electron information, leading to researchers having to rely on theoretical models and spectroscopy to estimate it.
By conducting world-class synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments at SPring-8, the group discovered that it is possible to selectively extract only the valence electron density of atoms in a crystal.
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