Oxford scientists stabilise nitrogen for the first time

After decades of instability making them difficult to study, scientists have discovered a way to stabilise nitrogen molecules.

Professor Meera Mehta from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Oxford led the team of chemists to the discovery.

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Nitrogen atoms are best known for forming pairs so any previous attempts to link more of them into longer chains usually failed.

This is because the structures turned into nitrogen gas.

Now, the team created a molecule made of four nitrogen atoms connected in a row, along with an extra electron that helps stabilise the structure.

The structure can now remain in a solid form for weeks rather than disintegrating immediately.

In the solid state, the material persists for weeks, allowing the team to characterise its structure and behaviour in detail, something that has not previously been possible for this class of molecule

The team were able to turn these molecules into solid crustal, allowing them to study the chains in detail.

This research could have significant implications.

The timeline of key discoveries (Image: Nature Chemistry)

The shared electrons across this chain help maintain its stability despite nitrogen’s inherent instability.

This breakthrough could usher in a new era of nitrogen-based materials, potentially leading to advanced applications, experts say.

Nitrogen chains store considerable energy and may be used in future applications such as advanced propellants or rocket fuel.

In addition, nitrogen could be a non-toxic energy storage solution with no carbon emissions.

They have been found to be reactive and energy-rich, with the ability to transfer nitrogen atoms to other molecules.

Furthermore, they may act as nitrene radical sources, which could make it easier, cleaner, and more accurate for scientists to build complex molecules.

Overcoming the nitrogen chains’ natural instability, which once made them so challenging to study, has now opened new research possibilities.

Previously, these nitrogen chains have been speculated to exist only in extreme environments, such as lightning strikes or outer space.

As these chains can now be created and examined on a laboratory bench, researchers have more room to broaden their horizons and focus on these compounds’ potential applications.

The breakthrough study, under the leadership of Professor Mehta, has not just challenged decades-old assumptions, but has significantly enhanced our understanding of nitrogen.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate’s, PhD students, and master’s students from the departments of chemistry at the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford were involved in the study.