[HN Gopher] Stone-Wales Transformations
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       Stone-Wales Transformations
        
       Author : chmaynard
       Score  : 37 points
       Date   : 2025-07-12 14:07 UTC (8 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com)
        
       | mojomark wrote:
       | This is cool, but I wonder what the implications are for the
       | mutated molecule's characteristics that might result in
       | microscopic material properties/behaviors.
        
         | throwawaymaths wrote:
         | for the second transformation the molecule loses aromaticity,
         | so if it was conductive there would be a local conductivity
         | defect. aromatic hexagons are flat and pentagons and heptagons
         | are not, so there would likely be a "desired" curvature
         | difference.
         | 
         | in the specific case of graphene, a heptagon/pentagon stone
         | wales transformation would almost certainly snap back to all
         | hexagons due to the strain.
        
           | mojomark wrote:
           | Are you suggesting something like this could be used in an
           | electroactive material that exhibits physical deformation to
           | behave like an artificial muscle? (not suggesting that would
           | be practical or efficient, but maybe?)
        
             | throwawaymaths wrote:
             | arrow is wrong here. conductivity responds to the
             | structure. the structure does not respond (in that way) to
             | electricity.
        
       | TimorousBestie wrote:
       | Baez is such an extraordinary expositor, I love reading his work
       | even if I have no clue or interest in what he's on about.
        
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