Serendipitous twist in a hemithioindigo molecular motor enables energy storage

Article excerpt

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02191-w Hemithioindigo-based molecular motors are driven by visible light and their rotation has been branded as ‘sunlight-powered’, but for a decade this ability has remained unexploited. Now, a subtle change in their structure leads to a serendipitous ‘supercharged’ intermediate, ready to store the Sun’s energy.