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World's Smallest and Tightest Knot Created Accidentally by Researchers

The 54-atom knot, made up of gold, carbon, and phosphorus, could provide insights into protein structures and the creation of new materials.

Golden Trefoil Knot, 3D rendering isolated on white background.
Experts accidentally craft world's tiniest knot ever with just 54 atoms
(Credit: Nevit Dilmen)

Overview

  • An international team of researchers has accidentally created the world's smallest and tightest knot, consisting of 54 atoms.
  • The knot, made up of gold, carbon, and phosphorus atoms, self-assembled into a trefoil metallaknot, a complete loop with no loose ends.
  • The creation of the knot was unexpected, as the team was attempting to create metal acetylides in their lab.
  • The knot's backbone crossing ratio (BCR), a measure of knot tightness, is 23, making it the tightest knot known to date.
  • The researchers believe that this discovery could have practical applications, such as helping scientists understand how proteins like RNA and DNA form similar knots under natural conditions.