A molecule is a quantum mechanical entity. “Watching motions and reactions of a molecule with our eyes” has therefore been a dream of chemists for a century. This dream has come true with the aid of the movies of atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopic (AR-TEM) molecular images through real-time observation of dynamic motions of single organic molecules (denoted hereafter as single-molecule atomic-resolution real-time (SMART) TEM imaging). Since 2007, we have reported movies of a variety of single organic molecules, organometallic molecules, and their assemblies, which are rotating, stretching, and reacting. Like movies in the theater, the atomic-resolution molecular movies provide us information on the 3-D structures of the molecules and also their time evolution. The success of the SMART-TEM imaging crucially depends on the development of “chemical fishhooks” with which fish (organic molecules) in solution can be captured on a single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT, serving as a “fishing rod”). The captured molecules are connected to a slowly vibrating CNT, and their motions are displayed on a monitor in real time. A “fishing line” connecting the fish and the rod may be a σ-bond, a van der Waals force, or other weak connections. Here, the molecule/CNT system behaves as a coupled oscillator, where the low-frequency anisotropic vibration of the CNT is transmitted to the molecules via the weak chemical connections that act as an energy filter. Interpretation of the observed motions of the molecules at atomic resolution needs us to consider the quantum mechanical nature of electrons as well as bond rotation, letting us deviate from the conventional statistical world of chemistry.

中文翻译：

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用于研究有机分子，组装体和反应的原子分辨透射电子显微电影：发展的头十年

分子是量子力学实体。因此，一个世纪以来，“用我们的眼睛观看分子的运动和反应”一直是化学家的梦想。通过实时观察单个有机分子的动态运动（以下称为单分子原子分辨率实时），借助原子分辨率透射电子显微镜（AR-TEM）分子影像电影实现了这一梦想。 （SMART）TEM成像）。自2007年以来，我们报道了旋转，拉伸和反应的各种单一有机分子，有机金属分子及其组装的电影。像剧院里的电影一样，原子分辨率的分子电影为我们提供了分子的3D结构及其时间演化的信息。SMART-TEM成像的成功关键取决于“化学鱼钩”的发展，利用该化学鱼钩可以将溶液中的鱼（有机分子）捕获在单壁碳纳米管（CNT，用作“鱼竿”）上。捕获的分子与缓慢振动的CNT连接，其运动实时显示在监视器上。连接鱼和鱼竿的“钓线”可以是σ键，范德华力或其他弱连接。在此，分子/ CNT系统表现为耦合振荡器，其中CNT的低频各向异性振动通过充当能量过滤器的弱化学连接传递给分子。要以原子分辨率解​​释观察到的分子运动，需要我们考虑电子的量子力学性质以及键旋转，