September 2, 2015

Manipulating the Rotational Direction of Artificial Molecular Motors Using Supramolecules


Conceptual diagram showing a molecular motor in action. A porphyrin dimer
rotates in the direction indicated by the solid arrow through injection of electric
current into the dimer from the probe of a scanning tunneling microscope.

Pioneering Mass Production of Versatile Nanomachines

(September 2, 2015)  A NIMS MANA group and a research team at the Institute for Chemical Research of Kyoto University jointly fabricated molecular motors on a metal substrate using supramolecules, and successfully reversed rotation of molecular motors by rearranging bonding between molecules that constitute a supramolecule.

Abstract

1. A research group consisting of Takashi Uchihashi, MANA Scientist, Jonathan Hill, MANA Scientist, Tomonobu Nakayama, Unit Director, and Christian Joachim, MANA Principal Investigator (also a group leader at the CEMES-CNRS, France), at the NIMS International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), along with a research team led by Professor Teruo Ono at the Institute for Chemical Research of Kyoto University, jointly fabricated molecular motors on a metal substrate using supramolecules, and successfully reversed rotation of molecular motors by rearranging bonding between molecules that constitute a supramolecule.

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