title: Light-Induced Translation of Motorized Molecules on a Surface.
abstract: Molecular machines are a key component in the vision of molecular nanotechnology and have the potential to transport molecular species and cargo on surfaces. The motion of such machines should be triggered remotely, ultimately allowing a large number of molecules to be propelled by a single source, with light being an attractive stimulus. Here, we report upon the photoinduced translation of molecular machines across a surface by characterizing single molecules before and after illumination. Illumination of molecules containing a motor unit results in an enhancement in the diffusion of the molecules. The effect vanishes if an incompatible photon energy is used or if the motor unit is removed from the molecule, revealing that the enhanced motion is due to the presence of the wavelength-sensitive motor in each molecule.
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.|School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nottingham , Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Saywell
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Bakker
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Mielke
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Kumagai
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Wolf
authors: Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineering and the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University , Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
authors: Víctor
authors: V
authors: García-López
authors: Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineering and the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University , Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
authors: Pinn-Tsong
authors: PT
authors: Chiang
authors: Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineering and the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University , Houston, Texas 77005, United States.
authors: James M
authors: JM
authors: Tour
authors: Department of Physical Chemistry, Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max-Planck Society , Berlin 14195, Germany.|Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Graz , Heinrichstrasse 28, Graz 8010, Austria.
authors: Leonhard
authors: L
authors: Grill
keywords: diffusion; molecular devices; molecular machines; molecular motor; photochemistry; photoexcitation; scanning probe microscopy