Molecular machines and motors articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Various methods, using DNA, have been reported for the recording of biomolecular interactions, but most are either destructive in nature or are limited to reporting pairwise interactions. Here the authors develop DNA-based motors, termed ‘crawlers’, that roam around and record their trajectories to allow the examination of molecular environments.

    • Sungwook Woo
    • , Sinem K. Saka
    •  & Peng Yin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Smart sensors are important components in the development of touchless human-machine interaction systems. Here, the authors describe a smart 3D porous crystalline organic cage-based system that exhibits remarkable responsiveness to fingertip humidity, contributing to the advancement of touchless human-machine interaction technology.

    • Jinrong Wang
    • , Weibin Lin
    •  & Niveen M. Khashab

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rapid switching between discrete states in the solid state is a cornerstone for the technological development of devices based on stimuli-responsive materials. Here authors break the speed limit of common classes of photochromic molecules through tailoring framework environments.

    • Grace C. Thaggard
    • , Kyoung Chul Park
    •  & Natalia B. Shustova

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Light driven synthetic molecular motors represent crucial building blocks for advanced molecular machines and their applications but the development of very fast motors remains challenging. Here the authors restrict fast molecular motor rotations and force them to proceed in two separate rotation-photoequilibria enabling them to elucidate the directionality of the motion.

    • Benjamin Lukas Regen-Pregizer
    • , Ani Ozcelik
    •  & Henry Dube

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hemiindigo derivatives can act as photoswitches, but their applicability is limited by synthetic challenges. Here, the authors report the synthesis of modified photoswitches and demonstrate four-state switching, chemical fueling, and reversible inscription into transparent polymers.

    • Maximilian Sacherer
    • , Frank Hampel
    •  & Henry Dube

  • Article
    | Open Access

    ‘Molecular motors, fuelled by various physical and chemical means, can perform asymmetric linear and rotary motions that are inherently related to their asymmetric shapes. Here, the authors describe silver-organic micro-complexes of random shapes that exhibit macroscopic unidirectional rotation on water surface through the asymmetric release of cinchonine or cinchonidine chiral molecules.

    • Itai Carmeli
    • , Celine M. Bounioux
    •  & Shachar E. Richter

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Artificial molecular machines have captured the imagination of researchers, given their clear potential to mimic and influence human life. Here, the authors use a DNA cube framework for the design of a dice device at the nanoscale to reproduce probabilistic events in different situations such as equal probability, high probability, and low probability.

    • Xiaochen Tang
    • , Tianshu Chen
    •  & Xiaoli Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling molecular motion at nanoscale is important for the design of nanomachines. Here the authors use ultrafast vibrational and electronic spectroscopy to characterize the mechanism of motion of a light driven molecular motor designed to support translational movement.

    • Palas Roy
    • , Wesley R. Browne
    •  & Stephen R. Meech

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Most single-use face masks are made of synthetic plastics, thus their disposal poses a direct threat to wildlife as well as potential ecotoxicological effects in the form of microplastics. Here, the authors introduce a 1D magnetic photoactive microswarm capable of actively navigating, adhering to, and accelerating the degradation of the polypropylene microfiber of single-use face masks.

    • Jeonghyo Kim
    • , Carmen C. Mayorga-Martinez
    •  & Martin Pumera

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The development of non-invasive, rapid responsive phosphorescence is highly desirable but has rarely been described. Herein, the authors designed and prepare a series of molecular rotors containing a room temperature phosphorescence active triazine core and three bromobiphenyl units acting as rotors and demonstrate light stimulus triggered phosphorescence.

    • Xing Wang Liu
    • , Weijun Zhao
    •  & Ben Zhong Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Being able to control motion at the molecular level is vital for many future developments in the molecular sciences. Here, the authors report the controlled forward and backward rotation of a molecular motor guided by external stimuli.

    • L. Pfeifer
    • , S. Crespi
    •  & B. L. Feringa

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanical motions in hybrid sp2/sp3 -hybrid nanocarbon peapods might lead to promising materials applications, but have been insufficiently explored. Here the authors demonstrate that a diamondoid molecule trapped inside a carbonaceous cylinder undergoes solid-state rotations at terahertz frequencies.

    • Taisuke Matsuno
    • , Seiya Terasaki
    •  & Hiroyuki Isobe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular scale force application in physiological environments is important for studying mechanotransduction. Here, the authors use a molecular machine to apply forces at cell-matrix and cell-cell junctions using light to trigger twisting actuation which then pulls on cell membrane receptors.

    • Yijun Zheng
    • , Mitchell K. L. Han
    •  & Aránzazu del Campo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Induced motion has emerged as a method to increase the efficacy of delivery and therapeutic outcomes using nanomaterials. Here, the authors report on a Janus gold shell polymersome with aggregation-induced emission molecules for phototactic and photodynamic therapy applications.

    • Shoupeng Cao
    • , Jingxin Shao
    •  & Jan C. M. van Hest

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular potentiometers that can indicate displacement-conductance relationship, and predict and control molecular conductance are of significant importance but rarely developed. Here, the authors design a robust single-molecule potentiometers based on helical structures and give insight in fundamental understanding of charge transport in higher-order helical molecules.

    • Jinshi Li
    • , Pingchuan Shen
    •  & Ben Zhong Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanically interlocking dissimilar materials, such as metals and polymers, is a challenging yet promising pathway for designing and fabricating complex systems on the small scale. Here, the authors report a novel interlocking fabrication scheme and showcase the fabrication of microrobots via 3D-lithography.

    • C. C. J. Alcântara
    • , F. C. Landers
    •  & S. Pané

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Multiple nanomotors for application in various fields have been fabricated, but so far only relatively simple designs for synthetic nanomotors are reported. Here, the authors report on a biodegradable polymeric nanomotor and demonstrate spatial control for catalyst positioning.

    • B. Jelle Toebes
    • , F. Cao
    •  & Daniela A. Wilson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The cooperative motion of artificial molecular machines has led to materials that respond to light with changing shape but also with softening. Here the authors describe a phase-heterogeneous liquid crystal material in which the action of molecular switches leads to morphing and stiffening, by enhancement of interfacial tension.

    • Federico Lancia
    • , Alexander Ryabchun
    •  & Nathalie Katsonis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The orientation of a molecule on a surface affects many processes, so the ability to control single-molecule rotation could be powerful. Here, the authors use the electric field from a scanning tunneling microscope tip to precisely induce unidirectional rotation of a polar molecule, allowing visualization of the molecule’s internal dipole moment.

    • Grant J. Simpson
    • , Víctor García-López
    •  & Leonhard Grill

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular motors have predominantly been limited to circular or linear directional motions. Here, the authors design a molecular motor that moves unidirectionally along a more complex figure-eight trajectory by a distinct four-step mechanism that alternates between photochemical and thermal reaction steps.

    • Aaron Gerwien
    • , Peter Mayer
    •  & Henry Dube

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    The mechanism by which macromolecular catalysts use energy from exergonic reactions to move, adapt, and assemble has been unclear. In this Perspective article, R. Dean Astumian shows that in addition to disequilibrium of the catalyzed reaction, kinetic asymmetry is the essential feature required to drive non-equilibrium response by an information ratchet mechanism.

    • R. Dean Astumian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling the rotation direction of individual molecular machines requires precise design and manipulation. Here, the authors describe a surface-adsorbed molecular propeller that, upon excitation with a scanning tunneling microscope tip, can rotate clockwise or anticlockwise depending on its chirality, and directly visualize its stepwise rotation with STM images.

    • Yuan Zhang
    • , Jan Patrick Calupitan
    •  & Saw Wai Hla

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-propulsion of biocatalytic micro- and nanomotors is facilitated by enzymes converting substrates into products. Here, the authors show that intrinsic enzymatic properties such as conformational changes are crucial for the self-propulsion of silica microcapsules modified with urease.

    • Xavier Arqué
    • , Adrian Romero-Rivera
    •  & Samuel Sánchez

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The chirality provides new route for organic materials to be implemented in the spintronics applications. Here the authors show a solid-state spin-filtering device in an organic spin-valve structure enabled by light irradiation induced change in the chirality of molecule.

    • Masayuki Suda
    • , Yuranan Thathong
    •  & Hiroshi M. Yamamoto

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biological motors which convert energy into mechanical work inspire the fabrication of synthetic motors. Here the authors demonstrate self-assembled colloidal motors which are driven to a range of responses controlled by the feedback between light polarization and deformation of a liquid crystal.

    • Ye Yuan
    • , Ghaneema N. Abuhaimed
    •  & Ivan I. Smalyukh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Micromotors have a range of potential healthcare applications. Here, the authors describe the development of a metal nanoparticle DNA micromotor which can be used to detect human HIV-1 by a change in the motion of the micromotors, monitored by cell phone camera, triggered by binding of HIV-1 RNA.

    • Mohamed Shehata Draz
    • , Kamyar Mehrabi Kochehbyoki
    •  & Hadi Shafiee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The weak and directional CH-π hydrogen bond has rarely been exploited in the design of supramolecular complexes and molecular machinery. Here, the authors construct a bowl-in-tube complex stabilized solely by concyclic CH-π hydrogen bonds, and show that the guest exhibits single-axis rotational motion despite tight association with the host.

    • Taisuke Matsuno
    • , Masahiro Fujita
    •  & Hiroyuki Isobe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proton exchange is critical in many applications, such as in conductive proton exchange membranes, but achieving fast proton exchange still remains a challenge. Here the authors report fast proton exchange in a rotaxane based polymer by exploiting thermally triggered translational motion of the mechanically bonded rotaxane.

    • Xiaolin Ge
    • , Yubin He
    •  & Tongwen Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Though dynamics of molecules are generally restricted by intermolecular contacts, C60 fullerene is able to rotate freely despite being tightly bound inside a molecular host. Here, the authors study the solid-state dynamics of this host-guest system to understand the anomalous relationship between tight association and low friction.

    • Taisuke Matsuno
    • , Yusuke Nakai
    •  & Hiroyuki Isobe

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Under confinement, molecular switches lose the conformational freedom often needed to isomerize. Here, the authors show that a flexible coordination cage can adapt its shape to guide the photoisomerization of encapsulated spiropyrans, rendering them reversibly photochromic even within the confines of the cavity.

    • Dipak Samanta
    • , Daria Galaktionova
    •  & Rafal Klajn

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scaffolded DNA origami by folding single-stranded DNA into three-dimensional nanostructures holds promise for building functional nanomachines, yet their dynamic structures remain largely unknown. Here, Lei et al. address this issue using individual-particle electron tomography at 6–14 nm resolution.

    • Dongsheng Lei
    • , Alexander E. Marras
    •  & Gang Ren

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The ability to direct microwimmers along a particular trajectory is advantageous for targeted drug delivery and manufacturing at the microscale. Here Zheng et al. use different types of light-absorbing dyes to enable selective activation of different microswimmers independently from each other.

    • Jing Zheng
    • , Baohu Dai
    •  & Jinyao Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Responsive molecular machines can perform specific tasks triggered by environmental or chemical stimuli. Here, the authors show that antibodies can be used as inputs to modulate the binding of a molecular cargo to a designed DNA-based nanomachine, with potential applications in diagnostics and drug delivery.

    • Simona Ranallo
    • , Carl Prévost-Tremblay
    •  & Francesco Ricci

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In metal-based molecular motors, the motion is generally triggered by changes in the ligand coordination around the metal centre. Here, the authors synthesize a molecular gear that switches between states through photo- and thermally driven geometrical isomerization around a platinum ion.

    • Hitoshi Ube
    • , Yoshihiro Yasuda
    •  & Mitsuhiko Shionoya

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Although photodriven molecular motors—capable of converting light into unidirectional motion—hold promise for many applications, these typically require ultraviolet light. Here, the authors design and analyse a motor that can operate at high speeds (kHz) under visible light at ambient temperature.

    • Manuel Guentner
    • , Monika Schildhauer
    •  & Henry Dube

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