what is the largest molecule ever made
Meet PG5, the largest stable synthetic molecule ever made. With a diameter of 10 nanometres and a mass equal to 200 million hydrogen atoms, this huge molecule festooned with tree-like appendages, paves the way to sophisticated structures capable of storing drugs within their folds, or bonding to a wide variety of different substances.
Previously, polystyrene was the largest stable synthetic molecule, at 40 million hydrogen masses. To create their molecular giant, SchlÃ¼ter and his colleagues started with standard polymerisation, in which smaller molecules join up to form a long chain.