Force-driven single-molecule transformations through tip-mediated stabilization of transition states
Abstract
Mechanochemistry uses mechanical forces to drive chemical transformations, offering an energy-efficient alternative to traditional thermal, optical, or electrical reaction pathways. At the single-molecule scale, controlling structural changes with mechanical stimuli is fundamental for developing nanoscale devices and understanding chemical reactivity. In conventional single-molecule reactions driven by light or electrical currents, energy is supplied through one-way excitation processes, requiring the single-event energy input to exceed the activation energy barrier. Here we show that mechanically driven single-molecule reactions can bypass this limitation, proceeding with a net energy cost below the activation energy. By using atomic force microscopy to induce the structural inversion of individual, bowl-shaped sumanene molecules on a gold surface, we measure the mechanical energy spent during the transformation. The net energy cost is significantly lower than the theoretical activation energy. This sub-barrier reaction occurs because attractive van der Waals forces from the mesoscopic tip body stabilize the transition state more effectively than the final state. Our findings demonstrate a distinct energetic mechanism in mechanochemistry, highlighting alternative strategies for energy-efficient molecular manipulation.
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BibTeX
@article{iwata2026forcedriven,
title = {{Force-driven single-molecule transformations through tip-mediated stabilization of transition states}},
author = {Kota Iwata and Ikutaro Hamada and Ranmaru Kuno and Taku Enomoto and Ryu Kuroki and Hidehiro Sakurai and Yoshiaki Sugimoto},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78541-6},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78541-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Force-driven single-molecule transformations through tip-mediated stabilization of transition states
AU - Kota Iwata
AU - Ikutaro Hamada
AU - Ranmaru Kuno
AU - Taku Enomoto
AU - Ryu Kuroki
AU - Hidehiro Sakurai
AU - Yoshiaki Sugimoto
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-78541-6
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78541-6
AB - Mechanochemistry uses mechanical forces to drive chemical transformations, offering an energy-efficient alternative to traditional thermal, optical, or electrical reaction pathways. At the single-molecule scale, controlling structural changes with mechanical stimuli is fundamental for developing nanoscale devices and understanding chemical reactivity. In conventional single-molecule reactions driven by light or electrical currents, energy is supplied through one-way excitation processes, requiring the single-event energy input to exceed the activation energy barrier. Here we show that mechanically driven single-molecule reactions can bypass this limitation, proceeding with a net energy cost below the activation energy. By using atomic force microscopy to induce the structural inversion of individual, bowl-shaped sumanene molecules on a gold surface, we measure the mechanical energy spent during the transformation. The net energy cost is significantly lower than the theoretical activation energy. This sub-barrier reaction occurs because attractive van der Waals forces from the mesoscopic tip body stabilize the transition state more effectively than the final state. Our findings demonstrate a distinct energetic mechanism in mechanochemistry, highlighting alternative strategies for energy-efficient molecular manipulation.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -