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Molecular Devices and Machines
Published in Mihai V. Putz, New Frontiers in Nanochemistry, 2020
In principle, molecular machines can be designed starting from several kinds of molecular and supramolecular systems, including DNA (Balzani et al., 2008; Credi et al., 2014). However, most of the artificial systems constructed so far are based on interlocked molecular species such as rotaxanes and catenanes. The names of these compounds derive from the Latin words rota and axis for ring and axle, and catena for chain. Rotaxanes are composed of a dumbbell-shaped molecule surrounded by (at least) a macrocyclic compound (the ring) and terminated by bulky groups (stoppers) that prevent disassembly (Figure 29.7, top left). Catenanes are made of (at least) two interlocked rings (Figure 29.7, top right). Important features of these systems derive from noncovalent interactions between components that contain complementary recognition sites. Such interactions that are also responsible for the efficient template-directed syntheses of rotaxanes and catenanes include charge-transfer (CT) ability, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic-hydrophilic character, π-π stacking, electrostatic forces and, on the side of the strong interaction limit, metal-ligand bonding (Balzani et al., 2008).
The Nano Control-Freak: Multifaceted Strategies for Taming Nature
Published in Kamilla Lein Kjølberg, Fern Wickson, Nano Meets Macro, 2019
The approach of imitating natural processes is also taken up in synthetic biology7 and by the branches of nano(bio)technology that aim to create artificial cells or artificial cell components and is strongly linked with a description of natural components through the metaphor of a machine. Xu and Lavan (2008), for example, have tried to build artificial cells using mathematic models in order to use ion transport with the same efficiency as natural cells. By describing natural processes through the language of engineering sciences (pumps, conductors, channels etc) and at the same time as something capable of spontaneous self-organizing processes (in the view of self-assembly), they argue that artificial cells can be built to use ion transport as effectively as natural cells (Xu & Lavan 2008). In the vision of self-assembly, nature is seen as something marvellous, very complicated and as a source of inspiration to the scientist. In another scientific article we read: The exquisite solutions nature has found to control molecular motion, evident in the fascinating biological linear and rotary motors, has served as a major source of inspiration for scientists to conceptualize, design and build — using a bottom-up approach — entirely synthetic molecular machines. The desire, ultimately, to construct and control molecular machines, fuels one of the great endeavours of contemporary science(Browne & Feringa 2006, p. 33)
Innovative and Advanced Motor Design
Published in Wei Tong, Mechanical Design and Manufacturing of Electric Motors, 2022
Molecular machines convert chemical, electrical, or other forms of energy into mechanical work for unidirectional movement. As an important component among them, molecular motors refer to the motors in molecular scales. Although molecular motors may overlap with nanomotors in their size, molecular motors often refer to the motors with a single molecule. They are of great interest not only for their basic scientific richness, but also for the potential to revolutionize critical technologies. In fact, molecular motors exist in nature, for example, in the form of myosins. Myosins are motor proteins that play an important role in living organisms in the contraction of muscles and the transport of other molecules between cells [15.70].
Is order creation through disorder in additive manufacturing possible?
Published in Cogent Engineering, 2021
Frédéric Demoly, Jean-Claude André
Since then, nano-motors of a few nanometres have been developed with controlled direction of rotation (Dureuil, 2013). “The rotor is made of five ferrocenes connected to a central phenyl, while a ruthenium in the center acts as the axis of rotation. Finally, the assembly is lifted by three feet and tiols to grip the molecule on the surface” (Dureuil, 2013). These spectacular molecular machines are animated by movements under the action of an external stimulus (nano-motors, nano-elevators, nano-pincers and nano-transporters). Their use, due to their extreme small size, raises the question of energy input (stimulus) and its mechanical recovery. However, there are applications in drug delivery (Bandari et al., 2020; Medina-Sanchez et al., 2018). Other applications, presented in Figure 8, of these nano-metric entities are considered by Novotný et al. (2020).
Molecular swarm robots: recent progress and future challenges
Published in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 2020
Arif Md. Rashedul Kabir, Daisuke Inoue, Akira Kakugo
Over the last decade, we have witnessed enormous progress in the development of artificial molecular machines, as exemplified by the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry [1,2]. An ability to manipulate molecules has greatly facilitated the recent development of artificial molecular machines which have been proved promising in performing specific tasks. With such progress, a new paradigm towards molecular robotics has emerged through the fusion of various fields, thanks to the latest innovations in supramolecular chemistry, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, biomolecular engineering, etc. [3–13]. The artificial molecular machines have been proved effective in accomplishing various tasks like molecular robots, i.e. a device or a system which can perform tasks autonomously by assessing its surrounding based on a program or information provided. Molecular robots have been reported to be useful in oligomer synthesis [14,15], switching of product chirality [16,17], mechanically twisting molecules [18], molecular transportation [19] and moving a substrate between different activating sites to achieve different product outcomes from chemical synthesis [20]. In the latter case, the molecular robots possess programmability for stereoselective conversion of reactants into products in chemical reactions. Considerable efforts have also been devoted to fabricating nanocar or nanotruck with controlled motion from fullerene [21–23]. Swimming molecular robots energized by external magnetic fields have attracted attention in recent years that exhibited a variety of intriguing dynamic behaviors [24]. Apart from the many attempts based on synthetic or supramolecular chemistry, DNA nanotechnology and bioengineering also came up with great promises in the advancements of molecular robots [25] (Figure 1). DNA-based well-designed and robust molecular machines like DNA walkers [26], nanomotors [27], switches [28], nanorobotic arm [29], etc. have been fabricated that can perform specific functions at nanoscale. The DNA nanorobotic arm was synthesized from a six-helix DNA bundle connected to a DNA origami plate via flexible single-stranded scaffold crossovers [29]. The arm could be driven by externally applied electrical fields and can be used for transport of molecules or nanoparticles, which would be useful for the control of photonic and plasmonic processes.