Single molecule machines such as nanocars and nanomotors perform their namesake functions at the molecular level. Our ultimate goal of developing nanocars is to utilize these molecular machines to transport cargos on surfaces at ambient conditions. To achieve this goal, a series of nanocar molecules have been designed and synthesized. Recently, we developed a line scanning method to track nanocars diffusion on surface. With the new method, we investigated the cross-correlation between the horizontal position and line intensity of four-wheeled nanocars, four-wheeled motorized nanocars, and non-wheel based USN molecules, we found that four-wheeled nanocars tend to traverse back and forth on a linear trajectory during their thermal diffusion on glass surface. Their characteristic linear diffusion time on glass surface is 1.2 s, corresponding to a diffusion distance of 50 nm, ~16 times of its body length! This observation gives strong support for the wheel-rolling mode of the surface diffusion of the car-like molecules proposed earlier. It also shows the importance of the 4-wheel design of the nanocars, which provides the traction on the surface and constrains its moving direction.<br/>

Surface diffusion of nanocar molecules disclosed by single molecule fluorescence microscopy

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.