Laxe, a coastal village in Galicia, Spain, was the venue for the fourth annual meeting of the MolDAM project, an ambitious scientific initiative funded by a Synergy Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). Co-led by Diego Peña (CiQUS – University of Santiago de Compostela), Leo Gross (IBM Research), and Jascha Repp (University of Regensburg), the project explores chemical reactions at the molecular scale through a combination of synthetic chemistry, atomic manipulation, and cutting-edge microscopy techniques.
Over the course of the week, researchers from the three participating institutions shared recent results and coordinated future strategies through a programme that included scientific talks, poster sessions, and discussion forums. The topics covered ranged from the synthesis of porphyrins and nanographenes to the atomic manipulation of molecules using scanning probe microscopy, as well as innovative approaches for triggering chemical reactions using magnetic fields and ultrafast light pulses.
This collaborative effort has already led to high-impact scientific outcomes, most notably a Science publication that made the journal’s cover in June 2022. In that work, the MolDAM team achieved selective formation of chemical bonds between individual atoms — a breakthrough that opens the door to the rational design of chemical reactions with unprecedented precision.
With more than nine million euros in funding over six years, MolDAM stands as a prime example of interdisciplinary, cross-border research supported by the European Union. The meeting in Laxe was a key moment to reflect on the consortium’s progress and chart the course for its final phase at the frontier of nanotechnology and molecular chemistry.
Single Molecular Devices by Atomic Manipulation (MolDAM)
The CiQUS holds the CIGUS recognition by the Xunta de Galicia, that accredits the quality and impact of its research, and receives financial support from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER Program 2021-2027.
Members of the MolDAM project at the fourth annual meeting (Laxe).