Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at low temperatures is a unique experimental technique for controlling the motion of a single molecule on a surface [1], testing the boundary between classical and quantum movement and making thermodynamics at the scale of a single molecule accessible to experimental investigation.

Under the STM, inelastic tunneling electrons or local electric fields can produce controlled rotations or translations, while thermal excitation can modify the energy barrier for motion. In this talk, we will discuss the controlled rotation and translation of asymmetric and chiral model structures adsorbed on the Au(111) surface [2-4] and their potential applications in mechanics and energy storage.

[1] Single Molecule Mechanics on a Surface: Gears, Motors and Nanocars, Eds. F. Moresco and C. Joachim, Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines Series, Springer 2023
[2] J K. H. Au-Yeung, S. Sarkar, T. Kühne, O. Aiboudi, D. A. Ryndyk, R. Robles, N. Lorente, F. Lissel, C. Joachim, F. Moresco. ACS Nano 17, 3128 (2023)
[3] K. H. Au-Yeung, S. Sarkar, T. Kühne, O. Aiboudi, D. A. Ryndyk, R. Robles, F. Lissel, N. Lorente, C. Joachim, F. Moresco, J. Phys. Chem. 127, 16989 (2023)
[4] N. Khera, N. Sun, S. Park, P. Das, K. H. Au-Yeung, S. Sarkar, F. Plate, R. Robles, N. Lorente, F. S.-C. Lissel, F. Moresco, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202424715 (2025)