Solid materials are generally known to be rigid and unmoving, but scientists are turning this idea on its head by exploring ways to incorporate moving parts into solids. This can enable the development of exotic new materials such as amphidynamic crystals—crystals which contain both rigid and mobile components—whose properties can be altered by controlling molecular rotation within the material.
Click here for original story, Concave, umbrella-like metal complexes provide space for giant molecular rotors to operate in solid state
Source: Phys.org