Molecules Applied

Plastics		Plastics and polymers are chain molecules. Their structures can extend to many thousands of times the length of the chain molecules depicted on the left. The molecular chain structure of polymers gives fibres like nylon and kevlar their strength. When these materials are manufactured their properties are customised by controlling the arrangements of the individual polymer chains.

Metals		Metals possess clearly delineated atomic structures. Their properties are dominated by the effects of the delocalised boding which holds these structures together.

Gem Stones		Gem stones like diamond are composed of regular arrays of atoms connected by chemical bonds to form a giant, effectively continuous, molecules. Strong covalent bonds, extending in three dimensions, make these materials strong.

Minerals		At the immense pressure of the lower mantle, magnesium silicate (MgSiO₃), adopts an unusual structure in which silicon is six-fold coordinated and the material's structure is similar to that of perovskite as shown on the left.

Medicines		The active ingredients of many medicines are small molecules. These medically active molecules seek out and act on specific molecular regions of living organisms. Medicines can interrupt the life cycle of a bacterium or virus at the molecular level. Medicines also allow the treatment of imbalances and undesirable processes, such as the production of cholesterol, to improve health.