{
  "id": 5289253,
  "title": "Electron spin unlocks magnetic control of hydrogen surface reactions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/electron-spin-unlocks-magnetic-control-of-hydrogen-surface-reactions",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-03T09:00:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-electron-magnetic-hydrogen-surface-reactions.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A study published in Nature Communications has revealed that electron spin, a fundamental property of matter, can influence chemical reactions at surfaces. Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, and other collaborating institutions demonstrated that controlling the spin orientation of hydrogen atoms on a magnetic nickel surface can significantly impact hydrogen adsorption and abstraction reactions. By firing a spin-polarized beam of hydrogen atoms at a ferromagnetic nickel surface and applying an external magnetic field, the team observed that the orientation of hydrogen spins (parallel or perpendicular to the surface) affected the probability of these reactions. The research shows that electron spin is an additional degree of freedom that can govern the behavior of atoms during surface reactions, and external magnetic fields could potentially be used to regulate chemical reaction rates.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}