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Nature 446, 736-737 (12 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/446736a; Published online 11 April 2007
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Assistant or Associate Professor
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Solid-state chemistry: Crystal tennis rackets
J. Michael McBride1
Abstract
The idea of bendy crystals, especially ones that move rapidly and reversibly in response to light, seems strange. Such materials have now been prepared — but how do they change shape so dramatically without cracking?
Most chemical reactions are accompanied by a change of molecular shape. Impressively, evolution has harnessed this effect to generate mechanical power for biological 'devices', for example, in muscles, where the bending of myosin upon release of adenosine diphosphate is used to drive one fibre past another1.
- J. Michael McBride is in the Department of Chemistry, Yale University, Box 208107, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
Email: j.mcbride@yale.edu
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RESEARCH
Rapid and reversible shape changes of molecular crystals on photoirradiationNature Letters to Editor (12 Apr 2007)
