Clutch-stack-driven molecular gears in crystals could propel material innovation

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-clutch-stack-driven-molecular-gears.html

"molecular-sized controllable molecular crystalline gear shifting... gear-shaped molecule called triaryltriazine has center triazine ring with 3 phenylene rings attached as gear's teeth... attaching bulky, stationary molecules induced clutch stack where adjacent molecules rotated 60° from each other... interlocking gears correlate motion of all molecules in stack... temperature increase reversibly rotates phenylene rings 180°... future: manipulate light emission or thermal behavior"