Nano Trek Beyond: Driving Nanocars/Molecular Machines at Interfaces

In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for pioneering work on molecular machines. Half a year later, in Toulouse, the first molecular car race, a nanocar race, was held by using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope as an electrical remote control. In this Focus Review, we discuss the current state-of-the-art in research on molecular machines at interfaces. In the first section, we briefly explain the science behind the nanocar race, followed by a selection of recent examples of controlling molecules on surfaces. Finally, motion synchronization and the functions of molecular machines at liquid interfaces are discussed. This new concept of molecular tuning at interfaces is also introduced as a method for the continuous modification and optimization of molecular structure for target functions.