Canadian Scientists Create World's Smallest And Tightest Knot With 54 Atoms

Scientists at the University of Western Ontario in Canada and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created a remarkable invention. They have inadvertently created the smallest and the tightest knot ever, consisting of a mere 54 atoms. With this invention, the scientists at these universities have also surpassed a 2020 record in China. Chemists in China have created a similar knot with 69 atoms. Now, the knot of 54 atoms has occupied the top spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 54 atoms in this incredible microscopic tangle twist around three times into an interlacing loop called a trefoil knot. These atoms have no loose ends and also hold importance in the Mathematical Knot Theory. This theory implies the study of closed curves in three dimensions, and their possible deformations without one part cutting through another. Also, an interesting feature of this knot is that it is in the shape of a clove and is the simplest of the nontrivial knots.

The achievement of making this knot of 54 atoms happened when scientists experimented with Metal Acetylides, which are essential for organic chemical reactions. The scientists aimed to make a gold chain or catenane through this experiment. They, however, formed a trefoil knot when connecting gold acetylide with a diphosphine ligand. The lead researcher, Richard Puddephatt from the University of Western Ontario, expressed uncertainty about the experiment. He stated, “It’s quite a complicated system and, honestly, we don’t know how it happens.”

The strength of this molecular knot is inversely proportional to the ratio of its atoms to back crossings. It implies that the knot’s strength increases as the ratio of atoms to back crossings increases. The 2020 knot created in China had a backbone crossing ratio (BCR) of 23. The current record-holder boasts a lower BCR of 18. This accomplishment has brought scientists closer to understanding the microscopic knots found in DNA, RNA, and proteins within our bodies. This 54-atom knot can also potentially help in the development of advanced materials such as plastics and polymers. Polymers, whether natural or artificial, are big molecules made by linking up smaller repeating chemical units.