Chinese team achieves ‘milestone’ by controlling chemical reactions with lasers

Scientists in northeastern China are the first to manipulate reactions at the atomic level

The research provides a starting point for more sophisticated experiments and could lead to more efficient production of chemicals

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Chinese scientists used lasers to control reactions involving dumbbell-shaped hydrogen molecules. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:39pm, 20 Jan 2023Updated: 9:27pm, 20 Jan 2023

A Chinese team hit a “milestone” in chemistry research, becoming the first scientists to control chemical reactions at the atomic level, according to a leading journal.

The researchers, whose findings were published in Science on January 12, said their method allowed them to manipulate hydrogen atom reactions with unprecedented precision, which could eventually lead to more efficient production of chemicals.

The research was led by Yang Xueming and Zhang Donghui of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Both Yang and Zhang are members of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The team used a laser beam to control the orientation of hydrogen-deuterium (HD) molecules as they were pelted with hydrogen atoms, resulting in a higher yield of hydrogen molecules.

During chemical reactions, microscopic particles collide with each other and form new structures. The orientation of the colliding particles has a big effect on the chemical reaction’s outcome.

When a hydrogen atom collides with one of the ends of a dumbbell-shaped HD molecule, it yields three times the number of hydrogen molecules as when the atom hits the middle of the “dumbbell”.

For decades, chemical engineers regulated reactions by adding catalysts and changing the temperature or pressure of the reaction system to get the desired results and produce items ranging from medicine and cosmetics to tyres.

But as scientists looked to control reactions at the microscopic level, these traditional methods started to fail.

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