The lock is as small as a molecule

Israeli chemists have successfully fabricated a key-sized lock of a single molecule. This lock only works when it is exposed to a string of ciphers consisting of chemicals and light.

Researchers believe that in the future this lock will lead to a new level of information security. It can also be used to identify certain chemicals produced by the human body. For example, to find out if the human body is contaminated with Sarin poison or some other poison from biological or chemical weapons.

Abraham Shanzer, organic chemist, and his colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovat, Israel began his research with a molecule called FLIP . The nucleus of this molecule has an element named ' connector '. This component has the ability to pre-capture bacterial compounds that can adhere to iron molecules. They then attached this element to two molecules that could emit blue and green light.

On this lock has three ' buttons ' including an acidic molecule, an alkaline compound and a ultraviolet light.

When the lock is exposed to a chain of chemicals and light in the order of alkaline molecules and ultraviolet light, it will emit blue light. When it comes into contact with the ' code ' sequence in the order of acid, alkali and ultraviolet light, it will emit green light.

The researchers explained that light generation only occurs when the password banana is entered within three minutes or the key will automatically reset. Any other cryptographic string will then have little or no effect. In essence, this lock is like an ATM cash machine authorized for two different types of codes.

In principle, researchers can design keys that can receive any type of input cipher such as complex devices that only react to long cryptographic chains of light pulses. . Shanzer said ' this is opening new directions for this field.'

Shanzer and his colleagues presented their studies in the American Chemical Society magazine on December 19.

Diagram: How molecular keyboard locks the job.E : represents an acid, B : alkali, U : Ray of light.Display the molecular keyboard lock to E, then U to emit green light;exposing it to EBU produces green light.(Photo: Abraham Shanzer / JACS)

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