Electric Nanocar Equipped with Four‐Wheel Drive Gets Taken for its First Spin
E. Charles H. Sykes · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · 2012
King of the (nano)road: Electrically powered unidirectional molecular motion across a metal surface has been demonstrated by using a unique design of molecule with multiple motor units. A scanning tunneling microscope tip is used to electrically excite the single molecule “nanocar”, driving it forward through vibrational and electronic excitation of its four chiral motor wheels. Helix inversion and double bond isomerization of the four motors leads to paddle-wheel like motion.