Ferrocene is an molecule that was found in the 1950s. It is comprised of two rings of hydrogen and carbon bound either side of an iron atom. This and other ‘sandwich compound’ have exceptional properties that have prompted their widespread use as industrial catalysts,, pharmaceuticals, and fuel added substances.

Working with the group of researcher from Imperial College London and the University at  Konstanz in Germany  have made a series of rings containing ferrocene molecule connected straightforwardly to make an molecular ‘daisy chain’

When the team investigated the way electrical charge is handled by the rings, they discovered that interactions between individual ferrocene units resulted in an unusual charging behaviour of the entire ring.