{
  "id": 8922474,
  "title": "Tiny molecular scissors reveal how crystals bend without breaking",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/tiny-molecular-scissors-reveal-how-crystals-bend-without-breaking",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-21T13:00:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tiny-molecular-scissors-reveal-crystals.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tiny molecular scissors in crystals help them bend without breaking, according to a study published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Researchers from National Taiwan University discovered that the molecular structure of certain light-responsive crystals resembles a network of interconnected scissors. These molecular scissors can open and close when a crystal is bent, allowing the crystal to accommodate strain. The arrangement of these scissors, akin to a coordinated network, enables large mechanical changes without breaking. Light can trigger structural changes in these crystals, leading to even more significant deformations. By studying crystals through various methods, including X-ray measurements, computer simulations, and structural analysis, the team found that the ability of a crystal to bend and expand depends on the initial configuration of its molecular scissors. A balanced capacity for opening and closing motions allows for large elastic bending and light-driven expansion without fracturing. In contrast, crystals with restricted motion are more prone to brittleness or fragmentation. This research provides insights into how crystal packing controls their mechanical responses, potentially guiding the development of molecular crystals with large responses and enhanced mechanical robustness for use in actuators, sensors, and other miniature devices.",
  "summary": "Crystals are usually thought of as rigid and brittle. Yet some molecular crystals can bend, jump, twist or even change shape when exposed to light. Understanding how tiny molecular movements inside an ordered crystal can produce such large visible motions is an important challenge for developing responsive materials that could eventually be used in actuators, sensors and other miniature devices.",
  "key_points": [
    "Molecular scissors in crystals enable bending without breaking",
    "Light-responsive crystals' structure resembles interconnected scissors",
    "Crystal's bending capacity depends on molecular scissors' configuration"
  ],
  "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."
}