The notion that "like charges repel and opposite charges attract" is familiar to everyone, but electrostatic attraction between like-charged nano-objects is also possible due to their mutual polarisation. A problem of fundamental and general interest is how electrostatic interactions are influenced by the presence of a polarizable medium, for example water. We overview a comprehensive theory,^1,2 with universal relevance to the electrostatic properties of closely interacting particles of arbitrary size and charge,³ which has been extended recently to modelling electrostatic interactions in solvents⁴ and ionized medium.⁵ This development contributes to the design of thin films and surface assemblies with novel properties. We find that the nature of electrostatic interaction is determined by how polarizable the particle and surface are as compared to the medium. The findings allow a comprehensive understanding of electrostatic particle-surface interactions in many areas of science.

We also discuss chemical transformations at the single-molecule level achieved with the electron beam of a transmission electron microscope. These include monomolecular transformations of coronene derivatives deposited on graphene,intermolecular reactions of these molecules confined within a nanotube cavity,⁶ and transformations of point defects in graphene structure.⁷

References:

1. J. Chem. Phys. (2010) 133, 024105

2. J. Chem. Phys. (2014) 140, 074107

3. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. (2016) 18, 5883

4. J. Chem. Theor. Comp. (2018) in press

5. J. Chem. Phys. (2016) 145, 084103

6. ACS Nano (2017) 11, 2509

7. Carbon (2016) 105, 176

By: Sean Paul Ogilvie
Last updated: Monday, 5 February 2018