Nano scales: Technique for weighing single atoms could shed light on chemical processes

摘要

EUROPEAN researchers have built a device that uses carbon nanotubes to measure the mass of the smallest atoms, and could in future be used to weigh protons and neutrons. The CARDEQ project, a collaboration between seven European universities, exploits the combined physical and semiconductor properties of the nanotubes using the fact that, like guitar strings, heavier nanotubes vibrate slower than lighter ones. It may ultimately allow scientists to study the progress of a chemical reaction.