1. A nanomechanical device based on linear molecular motors
- Author
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J. Fraser Stoddart, Chih-Ming Ho, Paul A. Bonvallet, Branden Brough, Tony Jun Huang, Amar H. Flood, Hsian-Rong Tseng, Yi Liu, Marko Baller, and Sergei Magonov
- Subjects
Rotaxane ,Materials science ,Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) ,Bistability ,Monolayer ,Molecular motor ,Molecule ,Nanotechnology ,Bending ,Self-assembly ,Photothermal therapy ,Composite material - Abstract
An array of microcantilever beams, coated with a self-assembled monolayer of bistable, redox-controllable [3]rotaxane molecules, undergoes controllable and reversible bending when it is exposed to chemical oxidants and reductants. Conversely, beams that are coated with a redox-active but mechanically inert control compound do not display the same bending. A series of control experiments and rational assessments preclude the influence of heat, photothermal effects, and pH variation as potential mechanisms of beam bending. Along with a simple calculation from a force balance diagram, these observations support the hypothesis that the cumulative nanoscale movements within surface-bound “molecular muscles” can be harnessed to perform larger-scale mechanical work.
- Published
- 2004
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