Abstract
A molecular rotor is a molecule/molecular system that performs rotary motions under an external stimulus. Molecular rotors are promising for applications in medicine, optical usage, information science, etc. A molecular rotor is also a crucial component in constructing more sophisticated functional molecular machines. Anchoring molecular rotors on surfaces is regarded as a feasible way of building functional molecular rotor systems. Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful tool for studying surface dynamics in real space on atomic precision. It provides an ideal platform for both qualitatively and quantitively investigating single and self-assembled molecular rotors mounted on surfaces. Herein, we review a series of studies utilizing STM to unveil the methodologies that are increasingly used in the area of surface-mounted molecule rotors. A combined usage of these methodologies is more and more necessary for researchers to advance the molecular rotor study in future. © The Author(s) 2024.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 6 |
| Journal | AAPPS Bulletin |
| Volume | 34 |
| Online published | 9 Jan 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
Funding
This work was supported by grants from the City University of Hong Kong (Nos. 9231264 and 7020044).
Publisher's Copyright Statement
- This full text is made available under CC-BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/