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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Photoinduced Pedalo-Type Motion in an Azodicarboxamide-Based Molecular Switch
Saeed Amirjalayer1,2, Alberto Martinez-Cuezva3, Jose Berna3
1Physikalisches Institut and Center for Multiscale Theory and Computation, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Willhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, 48149, Münster, Germany.
Abstract:
Well-defined structural changes of molecular units that can be triggered by light are crucial for the development of photoactive functional materials. Herein, we report on a novel switch that has azodicarboxamide as its photo-triggerable element. Time-resolved UV-pump/IR probe spectroscopy in combination with quantum-chemical calculations shows that the azodicarboxamide functionality, in contrast to other azo-based chromophores, does not undergo trans-cis photoisomerization. Instead, a photoinduced pedalo-type motion occurs, which because of its volume-conserving properties enables the design of functional molecular systems with controllable motion in a confined space.
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