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Scientists used a scanning tunneling microscope to
manipulate chlorophyll-a into four positions.
art by: Saw-Wai Hla
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The scientists used a scanning tunneling
microscope to image chlorophyll-a and then injected it with a single
electron to manipulate the molecule into four positions, ranging from
straight to curved, at varying speeds. Though the Ohio University team
and others have created two-step molecule switches using scanning
tunneling microscope manipulation in the past, the new experiment
yields a more complex multi-step switch on the largest organic
molecule to date.
The work has immediate implications for basic
science research, as the configuration of molecules and proteins
impacts biological functions. The study also suggests a novel route
for creating nanoscale logic circuits or mechanical switches for
future medical, computer technology or green energy applications, said
Hla, an associate professor of physics.
“It’s important to understand something about the
chlorophyll-a molecule for origin of life and solar energy conversion
issues,” he said.
The study was funded by Ohio University’s
Nanobiotechnology Initiative and the U.S. Department of Energy. Hla is
a member of the university’s Quantitative Biology Institute and
Nanoscale & Quantum Phenomena Institute. Iancu is a doctoral candidate
in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. |
