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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Hand Controlled Manipulation of Single Molecules via a Scanning Probe Microscope with a 3D Virtual Reality Interface
Published on: October 2, 2016
Conformational changes of single molecules induced by scanning tunneling microscopy manipulation: a route to
F Moresco1, G Meyer, K H Rieder
1Institut für Experimentalphysik, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
A detailed experimental and theoretical investigation of the processes involved in the manipulation of individual specially designed porphyrin-based molecules by scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperature is presented. On a stepped Cu(211) surface, the interaction between tip and molecule was used to locally modify in a reversible way the internal configuration of a single molecule, thus drastically changing the tunneling current passing through it. Model calculations confirm that this manipulation realizes the principle of a conformational molecular switch.
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