A 16-bit parallel processing in a molecular assembly

Abstract

A machine assembly consisting of 17 identical molecules of 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1-4-benzoquinone (DRQ) executes 16 instructions at a time. A single DRQ is positioned at the center of a circular ring formed by 16 other DRQs, controlling their operation in parallel through hydrogen-bond channels. Each molecule is a logic machine and generates four instructions by rotating its alkyl groups. A single instruction executed by a scanning tunneling microscope tip on the central molecule can change decisions of 16 machines simultaneously, in four billion (4 16 ) ways. This parallel communication represents a significant conceptual advance relative to today's fastest processors, which execute only one instruction at a time.A molecular machine is a system that generates physical motion of its components at the atomic level, controlled by an external stimulus (1-10). Several novel nanomachines have been realized over the last two decades by rearranging the constituent atoms of nature's building blocks, namely proteins (11, 12), DNA (13), and other compounds (14-17). Researchers have sought to increase the number of versatile instructions and generate multiple operations by increasing the complexity of design via diverse assembly routes. However, a machine that can modulate the decisions of other machines or communicate with more than one system at a time has not yet been achieved. A major difficulty in realizing such a machine resides in transferring versatile instructions simultaneously at the molecular level in a well controlled manner, partly because such machines are beyond the reach of today's atomic-scale manipulation. Linear connection of machines allows implementation of only one instruction at a time. In contrast, the radial connection of machines originating from a central control would allow parallel communication similar to a synaptic channel, but this configuration has not been explored in reported machines. Construction of a machine to process parallel communication will require an encoded molecular assembler (MA) that will precisely position the operational molecules by weakly interacting bonds and translate multiple instructions.Recently, we have realized a multilevel switch in 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1-4-benzoquinone (duroquinone, DRQ) (Fig. 1A), which generates four logic states (0, 1, 2, and 3) within 7 Å when instructed by a suitable scanning tunneling microscope (STM) pulse. ‡ Each logic state is associated with particular rotation of alkyl groups, satisfying the requirement of a molecular machine. Here, we report a machine assembly consisting of 17 identical DRQs, wherein a single molecule simultaneously instructs 16 others, in 4 16 possible ways. This machine is made possible by a supramolecular architecture consisting of a ring of 16 analogous DRQs as execution units (EUs) around a single DRQ as central control unit (CCU). Hydrogen-bond channels originating from the CCU radially connect to the 16 EUs, providing synchronized one-to-many control of their states. Instructions are sent by STM pulse to the CCU...

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