[ExI] Spirited molecules

[Anders Sandberg]

David:
> How about a ring structure :
> 
> N=C=N-N=N- (back to the first N) 

I doubt it, since the azide group is linear and the cyanide group is also linear. Only one angle that can bend. 

Ah, "Structurally, cyanogen azide is a V-shaped molecule and it was determined that the angle at the middle N atom is 120◦" (D.C. Frost, H.W. Kroto, C.A. McDowell, N.P.C. Westwood, The helium (He I) photoelectron spectra of the isoelectronic molecules, cyanogen azide, NCN3, and cyanogen isocyanate, NCNCO, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 11 (2) (1977) 147–156.) If the molecule gets charged there is further buckling (Lemi Türker and Taner Atalar, Quantum chemical treatment of cyanogen azide and its univalent and divalent ionic forms, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 153, Issue 3, 30 May 2008, Pages 966-974)

Perhaps it can polymerize into chains.


To steer this to transhuman issues: compounds like this clearly represents the outer envelope of what can be made using any process. With advanced mechanosynthesis we will likely be able to make some pretty bizarre chemicals, but there are limits on what will hold together. Maybe the great sport of nanochemists next century will be to push this extremely unstable envelope, trying to make absurdly unstable molecules.


Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University