Understanding formation of molecular rotor array on Au(111) surface

The motion of single molecules on surfaces plays an important role in nanoscale engineering and bottom-up construction of complex devices at single molecular scale. In this article, we review the recent progress on single molecular rotors self-assembled on Au(111) surfaces. We focus on the motion of single phthalocyanine molecules on the reconstructed Au(111) surface based on the most recent results obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). An ordered array of single molecular rotors with large scale is self-assembled on Au(111) surface. Combined with first principle calculations, the mechanism of the surface-supported molecular rotor is investigated. Based on these results, phthalocyanine molecules on Au (111) are a promising candidate system for the development of adaptive molecular device structures.