Current-induced mechanical torque in chiral molecular rotors

• Richard Korytár and
• Ferdinand Evers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 711–721, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.57

• charge carrier and the mass of the helix per winding number. Keywords: molecular junctions; molecular motors; molecular switches; Introduction Experiments employing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have achieved the directed rotation of molecules controlled by an electrical current. Correspondingly

• , realizations of molecular switches and rotors have been reported, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], with potential relevance for future molecular technologies. The theory describing the working principle of such molecular motors often employs angular Langevin equations [9][10]. This method has been established by

• a situation in which the rotation of the path is hindered, as in the experimental realizations of axial molecular switches. In such situations, the hindering potential V(ϑ) should have at least three minima in order to discretize a directed circular motion. Therefore, we choose with three minima

Nanotechnology – a robust tool for fighting the challenges of drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

• Filip Gorachinov,
• Fatima Mraiche,
• Diala Alhaj Moustafa,
• Ola Hishari,
• Yomna Ismail,
• Jensa Joseph,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Nikola Geskovski and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 240–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.23

• ) molecular switches in response to activated transmembrane receptors such as EGFR. The KRAS mutation occurs at a frequency of around 30% in NSCLC, with the KRAS p.G12C mutation being the most frequent variant. Mutated KRAS cannot return to its inactive GDP form, which triggers EGFR-independent activation of

Molecular assemblies on surfaces: towards physical and electronic decoupling of organic molecules

• Sabine Maier and
• Meike Stöhr

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 950–956, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.71

• images were successfully demonstrated [67]. Additionally, electroluminescence was reported for suspended molecular wires between a metallic surface and the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope [14]. Moreover, the decoupling brings considerable benefits for surface-supported molecular switches, in

TiO_x/Pt₃Ti(111) surface-directed formation of electronically responsive supramolecular assemblies of tungsten oxide clusters

• Marco Moors,
• Yun An,
• Agnieszka Kuc and
• Kirill Yu. Monakhov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 203–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.16

• controlled manipulation of single W3O9 clusters. The power of the STM approach for molecular switches has been demonstrated several times. For example, Cui et al. recently showed the reversible switching of a large discoid polyaromatic salt as a function of the applied bias voltage [27]. By that, we were

Interfacial charge transfer processes in 2D and 3D semiconducting hybrid perovskites: azobenzene as photoswitchable ligand

• Nicole Fillafer,
• Tobias Seewald,
• Lukas Schmidt-Mende and
• Sebastian Polarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 466–479, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.38

• -conjugated ligands becomes increasingly interesting. Among them are compounds that react to external stimuli. Molecular switches in particular are fascinating because the properties of the interfaces can be potentially adjusted as required. However, there is debate about how the properties of such special

• ligands are influenced by the presence of a semiconductor and vice versa. Here ammonium-modified azobenzene compounds were selected as prototypes for molecular switches and organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites as semiconductor materials. The class of ammonium–lead–halide phases as prototypes is peculiar

• from perovskite to azobenzene, which is strongly distance-dependent. This study provides evidence for the photoswitching of azobenzenes as ligands of hybrid perovskites, which depends on the spacing between the chromophore and the perovskite phase. Keywords: interface design; molecular switches

Spin-dependent transport and functional design in organic ferromagnetic devices

• Guichao Hu,
• Shijie Xie,
• Chuankui Wang and
• Carsten Timm

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1919–1931, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.192

• ferromagnetic devices. A related field involves single molecular magnets (SMMs). Extensive experimental and theoretical studies have demonstrated the realization of functional devices based on SMMs, such as molecular switches and negative differential resistance [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Electronic

Deposition of exchange-coupled dinickel complexes on gold substrates utilizing ambidentate mercapto-carboxylato ligands

• Martin Börner,
• Laura Blömer,
• Marcus Kischel,
• Peter Richter,
• Georgeta Salvan,
• Dietrich R. T. Zahn,
• Pablo F. Siles,
• Maria E. N. Fuentes,
• Carlos C. B. Bufon,
• Daniel Grimm,
• Oliver G. Schmidt,
• Daniel Breite,
• Bernd Abel and
• Berthold Kersting

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1375–1387, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.139

• area of molecular spintronice [8][9][10][11]. For a review concerning the organization of electronically bistable molecule or molecular switches on surfaces see [4]. The deposition of single molecule magnets (SMMs) has received increased attention [12][13][14] and several strategies have been designed

Rigid multipodal platforms for metal surfaces

• Michal Valášek,
• Marcin Lindner and
• Marcel Mayor

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 374–405, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.34

Light-powered, artificial molecular pumps: a minimalistic approach

• Giulio Ragazzon,
• Massimo Baroncini,
• Serena Silvi,
• Margherita Venturi and
• Alberto Credi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2096–2104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.214

• concept of the autonomous molecular motor, to discuss the design principles for the continuous conversion of light energy into directed motion, and to illustrate the experimental steps that led to the realization of a photochemical molecular pump. From molecular switches to autonomous molecular motors The

• vast majority of molecular devices studied so far belong to the class of molecular switches. A molecular or supramolecular system behaves as a switch if it can exist in at least two different forms, each characterized by given physical and chemical properties, which can be reversibly converted into one

• conventional combustion engines. Light is an energy source of great interest for use with molecules that has been widely exploited to operate molecular switches for a long time. For example, in photochromic compounds [25], the transformations between the two states can be caused by light of different

Controlled switching of single-molecule junctions by mechanical motion of a phenyl ring

• Yuya Kitaguchi,
• Satoru Habuka,
• Hiroshi Okuyama,
• Shinichiro Hatta,
• Tetsuya Aruga,
• Thomas Frederiksen,
• Magnus Paulsson and
• Hiromu Ueba

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2088–2095, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.213

• = 1 nA (52 × 52 Å2). (b) Measured I–Δz curves for PhO and PhS (offset). The switching was repeated for 10 cycles for each molecule with the identical tip apex. The height of the plateau (current jump at the cleavage) is defined as the on-state conductance of the molecular switches. The dependence of

Scanning probe microscopy and related methods

• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2010, 1, 155–157, doi:10.3762/bjnano.1.18

• example is the field of molecular electronics, where single molecules are investigated in order to perform specific tasks, e.g., molecular switches, molecular transistors or even molecular processors. In this area, STM and AFM have become essential tools to characterize the structure and function of