Innovative nickel catalysis simplifies and expands chemical reactions.
Researchers from Universidad de Santiago and the US Naval Research Laboratory have discovered a new path for quantum physics to control chemical reactions. The team has proven, both theoretically and experimentally, that it is possible to selectively modify the reactivity of certain bonds in a chemical reaction at room temperature in a liquid solvent, through the influence of the electromagnetic field vacuum in a narrow range of infrared frequencies. This discovery opens new possibilities and scientific challenges for molecule manipulation and unifying chemical kinetics and quantum physics.