Electron-induced chemistry: A forward look

The ability to understand, manipulate and control physico-chemical processes at the molecular level is one of the great challenges of modern research and underpins the development of vibrant new technologies of the 21st century, for example the development of nanolithography. Such ‘single molecule engineering’ requires selective bond cleavage in target molecules to allow subsequent management of the local site chemistry. Recent research has revealed that it is possible to influence the excitation and dissociation of molecules through the manipulation of electron interactions at the individual molecular level. Since electrons are ubiquitous in nature and electron-induced reactions initiate and drive the basic physical–chemical processes in many areas of science and technology from industrial plasmas to living tissues, our ability to control electron interactions provides exciting new opportunities that can be exploited in both the research and technological communities.