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Nature Chemistry (30 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/nchem.17

Microwave spectroscopy: New spin on isomerization

Gavin Armstrong

The conformation of a molecule has a strong bearing on its reactivity, so a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and rates at which molecules can change shape is useful. Rotational (microwave) spectroscopy can be used to elucidate molecular shape but so far it has not been advanced enough to study changes in molecular shape caused by isomerization.