10 Year Old Accidentally Creates New Molecule

10 Year Old Accidentally Creates New Molecule in Science Class

Clara Lazen is the discoverer of tetranitratoxycarbon, a molecule constructed of, obviously, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. It's got some interesting possible properties, ranging from use as an explosive to energy storage. Lazen is listed as the co-author of a recent paper on the molecule. But that's not what's so interesting and inspiring about this story. What's so unusual here is that Clara Lazen is a ten-year-old fifth-grader in Kansas City, MO.

I'd be more worried if she'd done it on purpose.

But it would not be explosive, even if it did exist [and not as a paper or model exercise which is what the girl was doing]. Carbon in that structure is fully oxidized, hence the compound, were it to be made, would be no more explosive than nitrogen pentoxide N₂O₅ - and actually, less explosive because of the dilution effect. And behold the idiot writer, not capable of comprehending the difference between drawing the structure on paper and actually making it. And the article they mentioned is in the "theoretical and computational chemistry", mathurbators' heaven.

Has she build a ball-and-spring molecular model and thrown it against the wall to test stability?

After checking the picture at the article, that model definitely deserves the wall test.

Has she build a ball-and-spring molecular model and thrown it against the wall to test stability?

After checking the picture at the article, that model definitely deserves the wall test.

Symmetrical molecules of that type are usually more stable than the otherwise analogous molecules of lesser structural symmetry. Nitromethane is almost stable [one could initiate a detonation in it, but it self-extinguishes after traveling a short distance]. Dinitro- and trinitro-methanes are sensitive true explosives. Tetranitromethane is stable [as long as it is not admixed with something oxidizable - then it forms one of the more powerful binary explosives]. And so on.