To gain complete control over chemical reactions is one of
the main goals of chemists around the world. For the first time, scientists at
the University of Basel and the Center of Free-Electron Laser Science in
Hamburg were able to successfully sort out single forms of molecules with
electric fields and have them react specifically. Analysis of the reaction
rates showed a relation between the spatial structure of the sorted molecules
and their chemical reactivity. The results have been published in the renowned
magazine «Science».