title: Solar-powered nanomechanical transduction from crystalline molecular rotors.
abstract: A photoinduced solid-state SO₂ isomerism drives a larger mechanical change (benzene-ring rotation) in a neighbouring ion (i.e., the system acts as a solar-powered molecular transducer). The ring rotation and SO₂ photoisomerisation are observed using in situ X-ray crystallography and are controllable, reproducible, and metastable at low temperatures. This discovery presents a new range of materials for solar-energy-based molecular transduction.
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: Sven O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Sylvester
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D003080:Cold Temperature; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D007536:Isomerism; D008027:Light; D036103:Nanotechnology; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry; D012993:Solar Energy; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056831:Coordination Complexes; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D012428:Ruthenium