Meet the Nanobobcat, the supramolecular wagon built at OU!
Our group and the group of Prof. Saw Wai Hla in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University participated in the first Nanocar Race on April 28, 2017, an event organized by Profs. Christian Joachim and Gwénaël Rapenne from the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse. During 30 hours, six international teams attempted to drive a molecule (or a supramolecular assembly in our case) along 100-nm courses on Au(111) surfaces using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Inelastic electronic tunneling currents or electric fields were deemed acceptable modes of propulsion, while “pushing” the car with the tip of the instrument was not allowed!
While each team had their own specific goals for the race, ours was to test whether we could deposit a supramolecular assembly onto a surface and control its motion by STM. We designed a supramolecular assembly bearing an H-shaped chassis suspended into 4 CB[7] wheels, and we managed to drive it over a 43-nanometer distance, thereby winning a 2nd place. A goal shared by all participants was to promote physics and chemistry to the general public in a fun manner. The live YouTube channel created for the event exceeded 100,000 views. Since then, we have found evidence that the CB wheels roll (and do not slide) on the Au surface! |