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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Photoisomerization of spiropyran for driving a molecular shuttle
Weidong Zhou1, Dugang Chen, Junbo Li
1National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beiijng 100080, P. R. China.
Abstract:
A novel light-powered molecular shuttle was synthesized which can switch the movement of a macrocycle between two distinct stations-dipeptide and zwitterionic ME-by exploiting the photoisomerization of spiropyran. The macrocycle resides selectively in the dipeptide station in the SP form and moves to the ME station under the irradiation of UV light. This movement process of the macrocycle is accompanied by reversible absorptive output signals which can be detected by the naked eye.
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