A Valentine's Day heart too small to be seen by the naked eye was observed through the use of a high-powered microscope last week, it has been revealed.

An article in physorg.com details how scientists at the University of Birmingham’s Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory watched the spontaneous formation of palladium atoms placed on a carbon base into an 8 nanometre heart-shaped object.

The formation was viewed by Zhiwei Wang and David Pearmain, who were using the laboratory's JEOL 2100F microscope.

According to Professor Richard Palmer, head of the Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory, the study of palladium atoms can help further research into catalysts.

"Precise control of the atomic architecture of the clusters may lead to enhanced yield and especially selectivity in complex catalytic reactions, as well as reducing the number of metal atoms needed to catalyse the reaction," he told the news provider.

The Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory was the first centre in the UK to be solely devoted to nanoscience following its establishment in 1994.

Having been opened in the Physics East building in May 1996, a second phase of the lab was unveiled in May 2004.

Source:

The World's Smallest Spontaneous Atomic Valentine (14/02/10)

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