Scientists observe elusive thorium-thorium bonding, a first for heavy elements
SMRTR summary
Scientists at the University of Manchester have directly observed thorium atoms bonding with each other for the first time, a major breakthrough for heavy element chemistry. Using a technique called Hirshfeld Atom Refinement, which combines X-ray data with quantum calculations, researchers confirmed how thorium atoms share electrons — something previously very hard to prove. The method could now be applied to study bonding in other complex materials.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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