Closed Mechanoelectrochemical Cycles of Individual Single‐Chain Macromolecular Motors by AFM

Abstract

Motor cycles: Mechanoelectrochemical loops of single-chain macromolecular motors based on individual end-grafted poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane) are shown by AFM to have an efficiency of up to 26 %. Upon oxidation of a prestretched chain, the chain length increases and the force decreases significantly as a result of intramolecular electrostatic repulsion between oxidized ferrocene units (see picture).