Researchers have developed new guidelines for molecular design that prevent electrons from losing energy through atomic vibrations. These innovations promise to revolutionize the effectiveness of organic molecules used in OLEDs, sensors, and biomedical imaging. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Since the discovery of quantum mechanics more than a hundred years ago, it has been known that electrons in molecules can be coupled to the motion of the atoms that make up the molecules. Often referred to as molecular vibrations, the motion of atoms act like tiny springs, undergoing periodic motion.
Artist’s illustration of an organic molecules light emission property modulated by quantum dance of the atoms. Credit: Pratyush Ghosh, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, edited “Those chemical bonds are like tiny vibrating springs, which are generally felt by electrons, impairing the performance of molecules and devices. However, we have now found that certain molecules can avoid these detrimental effects when we restrict the geometric and electronic structure of the molecule to some special configurations.”