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Researchers utilized a gear-shaped molecule called triaryltriazine, which has a center triazine ring with three phenylene rings attached to it -- which act like the teeth of a gear.

By attaching bulky, stationary molecules to the phenylene rings, researchers induced a "clutch stack" arrangement, where adjacent triaryltriazine molecules are rotated 60° from each other, rather than stacking in the same orientation.

The attached stationary molecules also created enough space for the three phenylene rings to rotate between two positions in a flapping motion.

The clutch stack arrangement of the triaryltriazine molecules enabled adjacent molecules to hook on to each other as the phenylene rings rotated, much like interlocking gears.

This change in motion was attributed to a phase transition in the crystal that created more space between adjacent molecules, giving the phenylene rings more room to rotate.