1410 - 1450 Ben L Feringa

Thursday 8th July 2010

The art of building small from molecular switches to molecular motors 

In our body a fascinating collection of ingenious catalysts, molecular motors and machines make it possible that our cells divide, that we can use our muscles and that the consumption of ATP can be used to generate force and mobility. Multiple integrated catalytic cycles, molecular information storage and retrieval, triggering and signal transduction and repair mechanisms are among the challenges ahead in the design of artificial systems featuring cell like behavior. Chemical systems ultimately require control over structure, organization and function of multi-component molecular assemblies at different hierarchical levels. Major challenges are the design of kinetic driven processes and control over translational and rotary motion.

In this presentation efforts to develop synthetic systems were several structures and functions are integrated will be discussed. Focus is on control of the dynamics of such complex molecular systems as well as triggering and assembly processes. We design molecular systems such as switches and motors in which molecular dynamics is coupled to specific functions. 

The design, synthesis and functioning of rotary and linear molecular motors are described. In particular acceleration of rotary motors, transmission and amplification and anchoring of such dynamic systems to surfaces will be presented. Finally, progress in the design of dynamic molecular systems to achieve autonomous motion is discussed.