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Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines

Nature Materials volume 4, pages 704–710 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Nature uses molecular motors and machines in virtually every significant biological process, but demonstrating that simpler artificial structures operating through the same gross mechanisms can be interfaced with—and perform physical tasks in—the macroscopic world represents a significant hurdle for molecular nanotechnology. Here we describe a wholly synthetic molecular system that converts an external energy source (light) into biased brownian motion to transport a macroscopic cargo and do measurable work. The millimetre-scale directional transport of a liquid on a surface is achieved by using the biased brownian motion of stimuli-responsive rotaxanes (‘molecular shuttles’) to expose or conceal fluoroalkane residues and thereby modify surface tension. The collective operation of a monolayer of the molecular shuttles is sufficient to power the movement of a microlitre droplet of diiodomethane up a twelve-degree incline.

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Figure 1: Synthesis and light-induced positional change of the macrocycle in a fluorinated molecular shuttle, 1.
Figure 2: Locating the position of the macrocycle in a molecular shuttle using proton chemical shifts.
Figure 3: Locating the position of the macrocycle in a molecular shuttle using fluorine chemical shifts.
Figure 4: A photo-responsive surface based on switchable fluorinated molecular shuttles.
Figure 5: Lateral photographs of light-driven directional transport of a 1.25 μl diiodomethane drop across the surface of a E-1.11-MUA.Au(111) substrate on glass.
Figure 6: Lateral photographs of light-driven directional transport of a 1.25 μl diiodomethane drop across the surface of a E-1.11-MUA.Au(111) substrate on mica.
Figure 7: Lateral photographs of light-driven transport of a 1.25 μl diiodomethane drop on a E-1.11-MUA.Au(111) substrate on mica up a 12∘ incline.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Isabel Casades (University of Edinburgh) for preliminary studies on fluoroalkane molecular shuttle systems and Bert de Boer and Sense Jan van der Molen (Materials Science Centre, University of Groningen) for providing heptadecafluorodecanethiol and the Xenon ultraviolet-lamp used in the transport studies. The Secretaría de Estado de Educación y Universidades and Fondo Social Europeo are acknowledged for a Postdoctoral Fellowship to J.B. This work was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK) and as part of the EU research training network EMMMA and the Future and Emerging Technologies project MechMol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, The King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, UK

    José Berná, David A. Leigh & Emilio M. Pérez

  2. Materials Science Centre, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Monika Lubomska, Sandra M. Mendoza & Petra Rudolf

  3. Dipartimento di Chimica ‘G. Ciamician’, Università degli Studi di Bologna, v. F. Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Gilberto Teobaldi & Francesco Zerbetto

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  1. José Berná
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Correspondence to David A. Leigh, Petra Rudolf or Francesco Zerbetto.

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Berná, J., Leigh, D., Lubomska, M. et al. Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines. Nature Mater 4, 704–710 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1455

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