Can you leave a molecular switch to its own devices? We expose the not-so-passive influence of a scanning tunnelling microscope tip on a molecular switch.
See: IOP for a summary
Movie made from a time lapse series of scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) images of a single poly-chlorinated-biphenyl (PCB) molecule switching between two stable states.
Full paper
An inner circle of six silicon atoms and an outer circle of 12 silicon atoms forming a lovely "Atomic Rose". Image taken by scanning tunnelling microscope at Bath by Duncan Lock.
Congratulations of Sarah and Rebecca, both graduating from the MPhy course. It was a pleasure to have you in the lab. Will you be back?
Recommended listening for this post: Sometimes, life can feel like you're stuck in the part of the training montage where nothing is going right. No matter how much you "wax on, wax off", the finish on Mr. Miyagi's car...