China synthesizes the world's longest single atom diameter 'metal wire'
2026-08-25
For the first time, Chinese scientists have broken through the micrometer scale in the synthetic length of single atom diameter "metal wires". Scaling proportionally by diameter and length is equivalent to a 4-meter household copper wire.
The Li Kuo team at the Beijing High Voltage Science Research Center innovatively applied a new strategy of high-pressure solid-phase topological polymerization to synthesize, for the first time internationally, carbon encapsulated single metal atomic chains with micrometer scale length, atomic scale thickness, and stable structure. This achievement was published on August 21st in the international academic journal Science.
The diagram shows the synthesis process of carbon encapsulated single metal atomic chains with micrometer sized lengths. (Research team mapping)
A single metal atomic chain can be understood as the world's "thinnest one-dimensional metal wire", which is as thin as the diameter of only one atom, making it an ideal research object for scientists to explore the low dimensional physical laws of the microscopic world. However, there are long-term shortcomings in the research and development of such materials: some preparation methods can only be achieved under ultra-high vacuum conditions, which are easily damaged without this environment; there are also methods to obtain stable and batch producible samples, but the atomic chain length is limited. It is difficult to balance chain length, stability, and batch preparation, which restricts the potential of related basic research and applications, "said Li Kuo.
The biggest breakthrough of this achievement lies in pushing the preparation limit of single metal atomic chains to the micrometer level. With the help of a Paris Edinburgh press machine, the team has mass-produced large-sized carbon coated copper single atom chain single crystals. The length of the atomic chain after single stripping exceeds 1 micron, and can continuously connect more than 4000 copper atoms, which is more than two orders of magnitude longer than the chain length of samples prepared internationally in the past. This preparation method can also be extended to various metals such as cobalt, nickel, zinc, etc.
In order to stabilize this extremely thin atomic level 'metal wire', the research team has proposed a new idea. Just like putting a strong 'protective sheath' over fragile filaments, we selected β - phthalocyanine copper crystals as raw materials and used high pressure to precisely compress the molecular spacing. After reaching critical conditions, the peripheral molecular rings of the raw materials are interconnected and polymerized to form a dense and sturdy carbon 'protective sheath', which firmly wraps and locks the neatly arranged copper atoms inside. ”Li Kuo introduces.
This study was conducted by the Beijing High Voltage Science Research Center in collaboration with Nankai University, Peking University, and other institutions. "The atomic scale ultra-fine metal wire is expected to provide new material options for the next generation of nano circuits, flexible wearable electronic devices, etc., and open up a new path for the research and development of new low-dimensional functional materials in China," said Mao Heguang, a world high-voltage scientist and academician of the CAS Member. (Outlook New Era)
Edit:黄舒靖 Responsible editor:王洋
Source:XinhuaNet
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