Scientists capture images of molecules forming atomic bonds
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/UE5dLeabQJY3S3sR7CsrXQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY5OQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/wmluzrygHlT.hpW3VZwavg--~B/aD00NTE7dz02MTk7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/05/berkeley-lab-molecular-bonds.jpg)
For most of us, molecular bonding only really exists as a classroom concept. Some scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory can now claim more tangible knowledge, however: they're the first to have taken truly clear snapshots of bonding in progress. While trying to create graphene nanostructures and observe them with an atomic force microscope, a lab team spotted molecules forming their individual, atom-level links during a chemical reaction. The resulting shots were nearly textbook material, too -- as the molecules were neatly placed on a flat surface, the researchers identified the order and nature of each bond. While the images will only be immediately useful for the nanostructure research at hand, they may add a welcome dash of reality to future chemistry lessons.