Abstract: Compounds of Formula (1) are disclosed: Cb is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic group having an atom within the cyclic structure selected from C, N, Si, and Cr and singly bound to A. A is CR, COR, CSR, CNR2, CCN, CCONR2, CNO2, CNNAr, CX?, or N. Cr is a chromophore having a substantially planar cyclic structure. The compounds function as nanometer-scale rotary molecular motors powered and controlled by light energy. The design of the molecular motor devices is flexible so that the rotary direction, drive light wavelength, and other physical characteristics can be varied. The compounds can be chemically functionalized to allow it to be integrated into or attached to a variety of structures. The device can be used in applications where mechanical power, positional control, and information encoding are to be generated at the size scale of individual molecules.

Abstract: Compounds of Formula (1) are disclosed. Cb is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic group having an atom within the cyclic structure selected from C, N, Si, and Cr and singly bound to A. A is CR, COR, CSR, CNR2, CCN, CCONR2, CNO2, CNNAr, CX1, or N. Cr is a chromophore having a substantially planar cyclic structure. The compounds function as nanometer-scale rotary molecular motors powered and controlled by light energy. The design of the molecular motor devices is flexible so that the rotary direction, drive light wavelength, and other physical characteristics can be varied. The compounds can be chemically functionalized to allow it to be integrated into or attached to a variety of structures. The device can be used in applications where mechanical power, positional control, and information encoding are to be generated at the size scale of individual molecules.

Abstract: Compounds of Formula (1) are disclosed. Cb is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic group having an atom within the cyclic structure selected from C, N, Si, and Cr and singly bound to A. A is CR, COR, CSR, CNR2, CCN, CCONR2, CNO2, CNNAr, CX?, or N. Cr is a chromophore having a substantially planar cyclic structure. The compounds function as nanometer-scale rotary molecular motors powered and controlled by light energy. The design of the molecular motor devices is flexible so that the rotary direction, drive light wavelength, and other physical characteristics can be varied. The compounds can be chemically functionalized to allow it to be integrated into or attached to a variety of structures. The device can be used in applications where mechanical power, positional control, and information encoding are to be generated at the size scale of individual molecules.

Abstract: The invention relates to redox-switchable material comprising a redox-active moiety adsorbed, bonded or both, to a semiconductor material. Among the preferred redox-active moieties disclosed herein are ferrocenes, acridines, and quinones though any such moiety may be employed. The redox-switchable material of this invention may be used to selectively remove one or more selected solutes from an aqueous solution wherein adsorption/complexation of the solute is influenced by the oxidation state of the redox-active moiety. In an alternative embodiment, inclusion moieties that are covalently bound to the redox-active moiety are employed to achieve selective complexation of the desired solute. Other possible applications of the disclosed materials are photoerasable writing media, electrochromic or photochromic materials, catalysis, and solar energy storage.