Field of Science

The most Zen of molecules


Chemists are the Zen masters of science. Chemistry is a minimalist art. Its structures and mechanisms resemble the spare ink characters which trickle down scrolls. We seek elegant syntheses in which a few, carefully chosen pieces collapse into a whole. There is particular pleasure chemists take in crafting a molecule that strains the bounds of possibility — such as cubane — which evokes the aesthetic of Noh, where nearly impossible movements are made to look effortless. And despite our abilities to peer into the depths of a molecule with lasers or beams of neutrons, we haven't lost our connection our history. We are still distilling and crucibles are not merely historical artifacts. Zen sees a beauty in the old and well-used, a touch of wabi.

I've a piece in this month's Nature Chemistry on what makes a molecule beautiful (here, $), through the lens of the ten molecules that I consider to be most beautiful. I've already had a couple of emails suggesting gorgeous molecules that didn't make my list. What's on your list of elegant molecules?


My list of the ten most beautful molecules

azulene
carvone
ferrocene
ethanol
vanillin
penicillin
insulin
snoutane
cubane

3 comments:

  1. Maybe it's not elegant by itself but dopamine has the effect of making my wife walk sort of elegantly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here is my personal list

    adamantane
    buckminsterfullerene
    dihydrogen
    haemoglobin
    methane
    octasulfur
    porphyrin
    uranocene
    water
    xenon difluoride

    ReplyDelete
  3. I tend to go with the highly symmetrical:

    adamantane
    buckminsterfullerene
    cubane
    dodecahedrane
    propellane
    tris(triisopropylsilyl)silane
    tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)silane
    tetramesityldisilene
    methyllithium hexamer (is it a hexamer?)
    triphenylmethyl cation

    ReplyDelete


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