Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
08:40
Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Molecular seesaw: a three-way motion and motion-induced surface modification
Young Bin Kim1, Soon Jung Jung, Young Hwan Min
1Molecular-Level Interface Research Center, Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701, Korea.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|September 1, 2010
Summary
Researchers discovered a novel three-way molecular motion in vinylferrocene on a germanium surface. This unique seesaw-like movement offers three stable states for future molecule-based nanocircuits.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Nanotechnology
- Molecular Electronics
Background:
- Advancements in molecule-based nanocircuits require novel switching systems with multiple stable states.
- Conventional molecular motions often lack the stability or complexity needed for advanced applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize a novel three-way molecular motion for potential use in nanocircuitry.
- To investigate the adsorption behavior and dynamic motion of vinylferrocene on a semiconductor surface.
Main Methods:
- Real-space investigation using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM).
- Site-specific adsorption studies of vinylferrocene on the Ge(100) surface.
- Analysis of molecular motion and surface interactions at room temperature.
Main Results:
- Vinylferrocene exhibits site-specific adsorption on Ge(100).
- A reversible, seesaw-like tilting motion with three stable switching states was observed at room temperature.
- Motion-induced surface-structure modification enables surface-mediated signal transmission.
- STM tip influence demonstrates the feasibility of tip-induced manipulation.
Conclusions:
- The observed three-way molecular motion presents a promising switching system for future molecule-based nanocircuits.
- The unique properties, including motion-induced surface modification and tip-induced control, highlight its potential for advanced nanoscale devices.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:16Thermal Sigmatropic Reactions: Overview
Sigmatropic rearrangements are a class of pericyclic reactions in which a σ bond migrates from one part of a π system to another. These are intramolecular rearrangements where the total number of σ and π bonds remain unchanged.
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in 1,5-hexadiene, referred to as...
Sigmatropic shifts are classified based on an order term [i, j ], where i and j indicate the number of atoms across which each end of the σ bond migrates. Below are examples of a [3,3] sigmatropic shift in 1,5-hexadiene, referred to as...
01:11Radical Reactivity: Overview
Radicals, the highly reactive species, gain stability by undergoing three different reactions. The first reaction involves a radical-radical coupling, in which a radical combines with another radical, forming a spin‐paired molecule. The second reaction is between a radical and a spin‐paired molecule, generating a new radical and a new spin‐paired molecule. The third reaction is radical decomposition in a unimolecular reaction, forming a new radical and a spin‐paired molecule. These three...
01:05Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
01:05Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The ciliary structures were first seen in 1647 by Antonie Leeuwenhoek while observing the protozoans. In lower organisms, these appendages are responsible for cell movement, while in higher organisms, these appendages help in the movement of the extracellular fluids within the body cavities.
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
01:10Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration
A slider-crank mechanism converts rotational motion from the crank into linear motion of the slider or vice versa. This mechanism consists of three main parts: the crank, the connecting rod, and the slider. The movement of the slider-crank is an example of general plane motion as the fluctuating angle between the crank and the connecting rod. Consider a segment AB where point A is at the end of the slider and point B is on the diametrically opposite end to point A, on a crack. The variance in...
01:15Mechanisms of Membrane-bending
The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...