Thermally activated rotation of single molecules adsorbed on a silicon-based surface between 77 and 150 K has been successfully achieved. This remarkable phenomenon relies on a nanoporous supramolecular network, which acts as a template to seed periodic molecule rotors on the surface. Thermal activation of rotation has been demonstrated by STM experiments and confirmed by theoretical calculations.
Keywords: molecular rotator; scanning probe microscopy; silicon surface; simulation; supramolecular chemistry.
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