Electron spin found to control surface chemistry, offering new ways to regulate reactions

A groundbreaking study has demonstrated that electron spin, a fundamental property of matter, can influence chemical reactions at surfaces. Researchers showed that controlling the spin orientation of hydrogen atoms dramatically changes the probability of adsorption and abstraction reactions on a magnetic nickel surface. This discovery establishes electron spin as an important degree of freedom in surface chemistry and suggests that external magnetic fields could provide a novel method for regulating chemical reaction rates. The findings were published in Nature Communications.