An electrochemically controllable nanomechanical molecular system utilizing edge-to-face and face-to-face aromatic interactions
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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Hand Controlled Manipulation of Single Molecules via a Scanning Probe Microscope with a 3D Virtual Reality Interface
Published on: October 2, 2016
Heon Gon Kim1, Chi-Wan Lee, Sunggoo Yun
1National Creative Research Initiative Center for Superfunctional Materials, Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyojadong, Namgu, Pohang 790-784, Korea.
Abstract:
[formula: see text] A new molecular system, 2,11-dithio[4,4]metametaquinocyclophane containing a quinone moiety, was designed and synthesized. As the quinone moiety can readily be converted into an aromatic pi-system (hydroquinone) upon reduction, the nanomechanical molecular cyclophane system exhibits a large flapping motion like a molecular flipper from the electrochemical redox process. The conformational changes upon reduction and oxidation are caused by changes of nonbonding interaction forces (devoid of bond formation/breaking) from the edge-to-face to face-to-face aromatic interactions and vice versa, respectively.
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