title: Directional control in thermally driven single-molecule nanocars.
abstract: With the hope of directing future bottom-up fabrication through bulk external stimuli (such as electric fields) on nanometer-sized transporters, we sought to study controlled molecular motion on surfaces through the rational design of surface-capable molecular structures called nanocars. Here we show that the observed movement of the nanocars is a new type of fullerene-based wheel-like rolling motion, not stick-slip or sliding translation, due to evidence including directional preference in both direct and indirect manipulation and studies of related molecular structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanoscle Science and Technology, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Osgood
authors.forename: Yuming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tour