Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Euler Equations of Motion01:19

Euler Equations of Motion

Imagine a rigid body that is rotating at an angular velocity of ω within an inertial frame of reference. Along with this, picture a second rotating frame that is attached to the body itself. This frame moves along with the body and possesses an angular velocity of Ω. The total moment about the center of mass is calculated by adding the rate of change of angular momentum about the center of mass in relation to the rotating frame and the cross-product of the body's angular velocity and its...
Moment of Inertia01:14

Moment of Inertia

The comparability between linear and angular velocities, linear and angular accelerations, and the kinematic equations of translational and rotational motion can be extended to the concept of inertia.
If a rigid body is rotating about an axis but is not in translational motion, its translational kinetic energy is zero. However, since each particle undergoes rotational motion, it possesses non-zero velocity and kinetic energy. Thus, the kinetic energy of the rigid body, which is the sum of the...
Torque Free Motion01:15

Torque Free Motion

The torque-free motion refers to the movement of a rigid body in space when no external torques are acting upon it. This type of motion can be observed in environments where there are no external forces or frictions, like in outer space. For example, a rotation of Mars in space is a torque-free motion. Mars is an axisymmetric object, meaning it has an axis of symmetry along which it rotates, designated as the z-axis. The rotating frame of reference is defined such that the center of mass of...
Kinematic Equations for Rotation01:30

Kinematic Equations for Rotation

In mechanics, when one observes a rigid body in rotational motion with constant angular acceleration, it is possible to establish equations for its rotational kinematics. This process resembles how linear kinematics are dealt with in simpler motion studies.
For instance, imagine a point A on a rigid body engaged in circular motion. The translational velocity of this particular point can be calculated by taking the time derivatives of the displacement equation, which essentially measures the...
Equation of Rotational Dynamics01:08

Equation of Rotational Dynamics

Angular variables are introduced in rotational dynamics. Comparing the definitions of angular variables with the definitions of linear kinematic variables, it is seen that there is a mapping of the linear variables to the rotational ones. Linear displacement, velocity, and acceleration have their equivalents in rotational motion, which are angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration. Similar to the rotational variables, a mapping exists from Newton's second law of motion...
The Molecular Nature of Internal Energy01:27

The Molecular Nature of Internal Energy

The internal energy of a molecule is determined by its degrees of freedom, including translational, rotational, and vibrational motions. In addition to these kinetic activities, the energy of molecules is also shaped by electronic energy, intermolecular forces, and the rest-mass energy of electrons and nuclei. These factors collectively influence the energy state of the molecules. The equipartition theorem of classical mechanics provides insight into this energy distribution. It posits that the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Determining Quantum Mechanical Methods Suitable for Quantitative Modeling of Hydrogen Atom Transfer by Halogen Atoms.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Photo-Triggered, Fast, and Fluorogenic Thiophene-Based Cycloalkynes for the Bioorthogonal Fluorescent Labeling of 1,3-Dipole-Tagged Molecules in No-Wash Conditions.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Cobaloxime-catalysed regiodivergent hydrogen atom transfer for alkenyl and allylic carbamoylation with branched alkenes.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Non-Enzymatic Formation of Chaxines and Natural Steroidal Derivatives via Ergosterol Air Oxidation.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Rule-breaking in chemical synthesis.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Computational Exploration of Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage via Substituted Anthracenes [4 + 4] Photodimerizations and Thermal Retro-Cycloadditions in Solution and Crystalline States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Proton-Gated Torsional Spring for Molecular Energy Storage.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Topologically Programmed Dual-Channel Covalent Organic Frameworks Decouple Gas and Ion Fluxes for Acidic CO<sub>2</sub> Electroreduction.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Plasmonic Re-Excitation Enables Superoxide-Mediated Ethane Conversion to Acetic Acid under Visible Light.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Photocatalytic Controlled Halodefluorination of Perfluoroalkyl Compounds Using <i>N</i>-Arylphenothiazines.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Photoinduced Disproportionation Enables Oxidative Addition of Aryl Iodides at a Gallium(I) Center.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Biocatalytic C3 β-<i>O</i>-Glycosylation of Triterpenes and Sterols to Synthesize Natural and Unnatural Saponins.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
10:52

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

Computational Insight into Free Molecular Rotors in Crystalline Solids: Inertial Rotation and Langevin Dynamics.

Jing-Ran Shan1, Qingyang Zhou1, K N Houk1

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 18, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) facilitate near-free rotation of molecular rotors. This study quantifies rotor dynamics, revealing inertia-dominated rotation and Brownian diffusion, crucial for designing crystalline molecular machines.

More Related Videos

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
08:40

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Published on: March 13, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
10:52

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation

Published on: February 4, 2017

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
11:03

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids

Published on: December 4, 2017

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
08:40

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging

Published on: March 13, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Solid-state chemistry
  • Materials science
  • Supramolecular chemistry

Background:

  • Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enable ultralow rotational barriers for molecular rotors.
  • Understanding molecular behavior in ordered lattices is key for crystalline molecular machines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate rotational dynamics of hydrocarbon rotors in MOF-5 homologues.
  • Quantify near-free rotor behavior over a temperature range (30-300 K).
  • Analyze rotor-lattice coupling and temperature-dependent dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Computational investigation using MOF-5 homologues.
  • Simulated five rigid hydrocarbon rotators: BCP, CUB, BCO, BAR, DIA.
  • Applied Langevin dynamics for angular displacement analysis.

Main Results:

  • Observed inertia-dominated, continuous unidirectional rotations under near barrierless conditions.
  • Quantified 360° turnover frequency and its temperature dependence.
  • Identified Brownian diffusion regime on long timescales and extracted damping coefficients.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular rotors in MOFs exhibit distinct dynamical mechanisms and transitions with temperature.
  • Rotor-lattice coupling strength and temperature dependence vary significantly among different rotors.
  • Langevin description effectively analyzes rotor dynamics and damping coefficients.