molecular machine (redirected from Molecular machines)

molecular machine [mə¦lek·yə·lər mə′shēn]

(chemistry)

A molecular device in which the component parts can display changes (reversible movement) in their relative positions as a result of some external stimulus (such as light, electrical energy, or chemical energy), resulting in a signal (a change in a chemical or physical property of the supramolecular system) that can be used to monitor the operation of the device.