In a study led by Prof. Wei Xu (Interdisciplinary Materials Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University) and published in the journal National Science Review, a research team achieved the successful synthesis of a one-dimensional carbon chain on the Au(111) surface, with the longest chain containing approximately 120 carbon atoms, and the polyynic nature of the carbon chain was unambiguously characterized by bond-resolved atomic force microscopy (AFM).
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: On the left, synthetic strategies toward the polyynic carbon chain are seen, with the bond-resolved AFM imaging showing the defined positions of triple bonds. The right shows the synthetic strategies and the STS measurement of C 14 polyyne, exhibiting a band gap of 5.8 eV. Credit: Science China Press The creation of new carbon forms with different topologies has emerged as an exciting topic in both fundamental chemistry and materials science. Carbyne (linear carbon chain), an elusive sp-hybridized linear carbon allotrope, has fascinated chemists and physicists for decades. Due to its high chemical…