Molecular Thermal Engine Based on a Highly Flexible Elastic Crystal

Hinako Kato; Yoji Horii; Chiharu Watanabe; Toshiyuki Sasaki; Kouhei Ichiyanagi; Mariko Noguchi; Hiroki Fujimori; Taro Yamamoto; Hal Suzuki; Yuichi Hirai; Takahito Ohmura; Keigo Yano; Shotaro Hayashi; Takashi Kajiwara

doi:10.1021/jacs.5c03529

Journal article Molecular Thermal Engine Based on a Highly Flexible Elastic Crystal

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Hinako Kato, Yoji Horii, Chiharu Watanabe, Toshiyuki Sasaki, Kouhei Ichiyanagi, Mariko Noguchi, Hiroki Fujimori, Taro Yamamoto, Hal Suzuki, Yuichi Hirai, Takahito Ohmura, Keigo Yano, Shotaro Hayashi, Takashi Kajiwara. Molecular Thermal Engine Based on a Highly Flexible Elastic Crystal. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2025, 147 (24), 20582-20589. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c03529

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(abstract)

Materials that exhibit actuation behaviour in response to external stimuli have a wide range of applications due to their ability to convert input energy into mechanical work. Common sources of input energy include light and chemical energy, frequently used in actuation processes. However, the actuation using thermal energy from ambient temperature sources remains challenging for both polymer composites and molecule-based crystalline materials. In this study, we introduce a novel elastic crystal composed of dodecylated porphyrin molecules, exhibiting high flexibility and gradual deformation in response to temperature changes. When the crystal with a small weight load was positioned between a high-temperature and low-temperature heat source, the crystal exhibited continuous, large, and rapid oscillating motions. These oscillations persisted for at least 160 hours, corresponding to 3.9 million cycles of deformation, as long as the temperature difference was maintained. This study presents the first example of a molecular crystal functioning as an engine that can extract the kinetic energy from static and ambient temperature sources.

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This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of the American Chemical Society, copyright © 2025 American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c03529.

Keyword: crystal structure, actuation, porphyrin, nanoindentation, stimuli responsive, elastic crystal

Date published: 2025-06-18

Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)

Journal:

Journal of the American Chemical Society (ISSN: 00027863) vol. 147 issue. 24 p. 20582-20589

Funding:

Mazda Foundation
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP20K15293
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP21K14645
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP22K14661
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science JP23K04875
SPring-8 2024A1219
SPring-8 2024B1168

Manuscript type: Author's version (Accepted manuscript)

MDR DOI: https://doi.org/10.48505/nims.5892

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c03529

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Updated at: 2026-04-30 12:01:11 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-05-27 08:33:27 +0900

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