Scientists Forge a Half-Möbius Molecule with a New Electronic Topology

Researchers built a 13‑carbon ring that hosts two isolated conjugated subsystems; by placing chlorine atoms to separate them, the ring spontaneously twists by 90 degrees and becomes a single, fully delocalized 24‑electron system with a unique electronic/magnetic profile distinct from classic Möbius structures. The molecule exists as two enantiomers, which can be interconverted using a small external voltage, a breakthrough reported in Science by Manchester and IBM Zurich teams and signaling a new topological approach to designing matter.