Charged ’molecular beasts’ the basis for new compounds

Cover of the journal Angewandte Chemie. Photo: Leipzig University Mass spectrometers are high-tech machines that play an important role in our society. They are highly sensitive analytical instruments that are indispensable in areas such as medical diagnostics, food quality control and the detection of hazardous chemical substances. The research group led by Dr Jonas Warneke at the Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at Leipzig University is working to modify mass spectrometers so that they can be used for a completely different purpose: the chemical synthesis of new molecules. These preparative mass spectrometers can be used to produce chemical compounds in a new way. The researchers recently synthesised a new compound from a charged molecular fragment and nitrogen from the air, which has a wide range of potential applications in building new molecular structures. They have published their new findings in the journal "Angewandte Chemie".