Driving a third generation molecular motor with electrons across a surface

0570240 - FZÚ 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Srivastava, G. - Štacko, P. - Mendieta Moreno, Jesús Ignacio - Edalatmanesh, Shayan - Kistemaker, J.C.M. - Heideman, G.H. - Zoppi, L. - Parschau, M. - Feringa, B. L. - Ernst, Karl-Heinz
Driving a third generation molecular motor with electrons across a surface.
ACS Nano. Roč. 17, č. 4 (2023), s. 3931-3938. ISSN 1936-0851. E-ISSN 1936-086X
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GF21-17194L
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : chirality * molecular motors * STM * single molecule studies * molecular dynamics
OECD category: Condensed matter physics (including formerly solid state physics, supercond.)
Impact factor: 17.1, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c12340

Excitation of single molecules with electrons tunneling between a sharp metallic tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and a metal surface is one way to study and control dynamics of molecules on surfaces. Electron tunneling induced dynamics may lead to hopping, rotation, molecular switching, or chemical reactions. Molecular motors that convert rotation of subgroups into lateral movement on a surface can in principle also be driven by tunneling electrons. For such surface-bound motor molecules the efficiency of motor action with respect to electron dose is still not known. Here, the response of a molecular motor containing two rotor units in the form of overcrowded alkene groups to inelastic electron tunneling has been examined on a Cu(111) surface in ultrahigh vacuum at 5 K. Upon vibrational excitation, switching between different molecular conformations is observed, including conversion of enantiomeric states of chiral conformations.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0351858