All articles tagged with #helicene
An international team demonstrated a single-molecule motor that uses electric current to drive rotation, which in turn increases electrical conductance by up to 100 times. Published in Nature, the study validates a feedback mechanism between mechanical motion and electron flow at the atomic scale, offering a new principle for future nanoscale switches and spintronic devices, though it remains a cryogenic proof-of-concept.
A multinational research team has demonstrated a current-driven molecular machine using a helicene molecule suspended between gold electrodes. The device exhibits 100% directional rotation preference, which can be reversed by changing voltage polarity. Above a specific voltage threshold, the rotating molecule’s conductance increases significantly, a phenomenon absent in previous helical junctions. Theoretical calculations confirm that current-induced forces drive this cyclic motion, enabling a transition from stepwise to continuous rotation that accesses highly conducting configurations. This prototype represents a new class of torque-driven molecular machines with perfect rotor unidirectionality and substantial current modulation capabilities.