Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has become a versatile tool for making experiments with single molecules. The power of the SPM comes from the combination of the atomic-scale imaging, spectroscopy and manipulation. The single-molecule manipulation is in fact becoming a routine part of many SPM studies. In such circumstances it is interesting to discuss how far could we get in trying to control a single molecule placed in the junction of a scanning probe microscope? What are the factors that could facilitate such control?
