Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging.

The design and synthesis of a synthetic system that aims for the direct visualization of a synthetic rotary motor at the single molecule level on surfaces are demonstrated. This work requires careful design, considerable synthetic effort, and proper analysis. The rotary motion of the molecular motor in solution is shown by 1H NMR and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy techniques. In addition, the method to graft the motor onto an amine-coated quartz is described. This method helps to gain more insight into molecular machines.