The art of building small: from molecular switches to molecular motors

Molecular switches and motors are essential components of artificial molecular machines. In this perspective, we discuss progress in our design, synthesis, and functioning of photochemical and electrochemical switches and chemical and light-driven molecular motors. Special emphasis is given to the control of a range of functions and properties, including luminescence, self-assembly, motion, color, conductance, transport, and chirality. We will also discuss our efforts to control mechanical movement at the molecular level, a feature that is at the heart of molecular motors and machines. The anchoring of molecular motors on surfaces and molecular motors at work are discussed.     

2D Nanoarchitectonics: Soft Interfacial Media as Playgrounds for Microobjects,Molecular Machines,and Living Cells

Soft and flexible two-dimensional (2D) systems, such as liquid interfaces, would have much more potentials in dynamic regulation on nano–macro connected functions. In this Minireview article, we focus especially on dynamic motional functions at liquid dynamic interfaces as 2D material systems. Several recent examples are selected to be explained for overviewing features and importance of dynamic soft interfaces in a wide range of action systems. The exemplified research systems are mainly classified into three categories: (i) control of microobjects with motional regulations; (ii) control of molecular machines with functions of target discrimination and optical outputs; (iii) control of living cells including molecular machine functions at cell membranes and cell/biomolecular behaviors at liquid interface. Sciences on soft 2D media with motional freedom and their nanoarchitectonics constructions will have increased importance in future technology in addition to popular rigid solid 2D materials.     

Fullerenes: multitask components in molecular machinery

Molecular machines are molecular-scale devices that carry out predetermined tasks derived from molecular motion. This Minireview illustrates how fullerenes can be used as multitask building blocks in molecular machinery, providing new perspectives for fullerenes. Indeed, C(60) can be applied as a photo- and electroactive stopper owing to its size, as a probe for molecular motion as a result of its well-defined physicochemical properties, and to induce motion through pi-pi interactions. Such molecular motion can be employed to modulate light-driven electron-transfer events, extending the potential applications of molecular machines to the typical fields of application of fullerenes.     

分子基逻辑材料*

在适当的条件下分子开关将输入的信息转换为输出信号,利用这一特点,可在分子体系根据二进位布尔逻辑规则实现信号转换。目前,用化学体系进行基本的布尔逻辑功能执行 (PASS、YES、NOT、AND、NAND、OR、NOR、XNOR和INH)都已成为可能。在此基础上,逻辑门的整合与编程,以及更进一步的复杂分子运算开始受到人们的关注。迄今为止,以高灵敏性的荧光输出信号为主,人们在分子水平上设计实现了多种复杂的逻辑电路,包括组合逻辑电路和时序逻辑电路等,并开始涉及信息处理的安全平台设计。本文主要介绍了近年来利用分子荧光开关体系模拟数字逻辑电路过程中所取得的最新进展,对分子逻辑电路研究的热点和问题进行了展望。     

An Electrochemically and Thermally Switchable Donor–Acceptor [c2]Daisy Chain Rotaxane

Although motor proteins are essential cellular components that carry out biological processes by converting chemical energy into mechanical motion, their functions have been difficult to mimic in artificial synthetic systems. Daisy chains are a class of rotaxanes which have been targeted to serve as artificial molecular machines because their mechanically interlocked architectures enable them to contract and expand linearly, in a manner that is reminiscent of the sarcomeres of muscle tissue. The scope of external stimuli that can be used to control the musclelike motions of daisy chains remains limited, however, because of the narrow range of supramolecular motifs that have been utilized in their templated synthesis. Reported herein is a cyclic daisy chain dimer based on π‐associated donor–acceptor interactions, which can be actuated with either thermal or electrochemical stimuli. Molecular dynamics simulations have shown the daisy chain’s mechanism of extension/contraction in the ground state in atomistic detail.     

Conformational sensitivity of polyether macrocycles to electrostatic potential: Partial atomic charges,molecular mechanics,and conformational prediction

Molecular recognition (whether by enzymes, the immune system, or chelating ligands) depends critically on molecular conformation. Molecular mechanics predicts energetically favorable molecular conformations by locating low energy conformations using an empirical fit of molecular potential energy as a function of internal coordinates. Molecular mechanics analysis of 18-crown-6 demonstrates that the nonbonded term (primarily the electrostatic part) is the largest contributor to the conformational energy. Nevertheless, common methods of treating the electrostatic interaction for 18-crown-6 yield inconsistent values for conformational energies partly because partial charges assigned to each atom can change with conformation due to through-space inductive effects which are not considered in most molecular mechanics programs. Similar findings from several other groups are reviewed to support our conclusions. We argue for care and caution in predicting conformational preferences of molecules with two or more highly polar atoms. We also discuss the desirability of using an empirical method of partial charge determination such as the charge equilibration algorithm of Rappé and Goddard (or a suitable generalization which includes polarization) as a method of including these effects in molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics calculations.     

Nano Trek Beyond: Driving Nanocars/Molecular Machines at Interfaces

In 2016, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for pioneering work on molecular machines. Half a year later, in Toulouse, the first molecular car race, a “nanocar race”, was held by using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope as an electrical remote control. In this Focus Review, we discuss the current state‐of‐the‐art in research on molecular machines at interfaces. In the first section, we briefly explain the science behind the nanocar race, followed by a selection of recent examples of controlling molecules on surfaces. Finally, motion synchronization and the functions of molecular machines at liquid interfaces are discussed. This new concept of molecular tuning at interfaces is also introduced as a method for the continuous modification and optimization of molecular structure for target functions.     

Influence of temperature on the structure of liquid water

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out for liquid water at 7 different temperatures to understand the nature of hydrogen bonding at molecular level through the investigation of the effects of temperature on the geometry of water molecules. The changes in bond length and bond angle of water molecules from gaseous state to liquid state have been observed, and the change in the bond angle of water molecules in liquid against temperature has been revealed, which has not been seen in literature so far. The analysis of the radial distribution functions and the coordinate numbers shows that, on an average, each water molecule in liquid acts as both receptor and donor, and forms at least two hydrogen bonds with its neigbors. The analysis of the results also indicates that the water molecules form clusters in liquid.     

分子工程和化学工程

分子工程从分子水平研究产品的设计和开发以及过程的设计和开发问题,在化学工程领域中,是一个活跃的前沿。它的重要基础是分子结构与热力学性质、传递性质以及反应动力学性质之间的定量关系。研究这些关系分别是分子热力学、分子传递现象和分子反应动力学的任务。本文着重讨论它们的进展。     

Crystalline molecular machines: function, phase order, dimensionality, and composition

The design of molecular machines is stimulated by the possibility of developing new materials with complex physicochemical and mechanical properties that are responsive to external stimuli. Condensed-phase matter with anisotropic molecular order and controlled dynamics, also defined as amphidynamic crystals, offers a promising platform for the design of bulk materials capable of performing such functions. Recent studies have shown that it is possible to engineer molecular crystals and extended solids with Brownian rotation about specific axes that can be interfaced with external fields, which may ultimately be used to design novel optoelectronic materials. Structure/function relationships of amphidynamic materials have been characterized, establishing the blueprints to further engineer sophisticated function. However, the synthesis of amphidynamic molecular machines composed of multiple "parts" is essential to realize increasingly complex behavior. Recent progress in amphidynamic multicomponent systems suggests that sophisticated functions similar to those of simple biomolecular machines may eventually be within reach.     

具有分子机器、分子开关功能的自组装超分子体系

本文介绍了具有分子梭或分子开关性质的新型轮烷和索烃超分子以及具有分子机器功能的其它类型化学和生物分子的国际研究最新动态。     

Artificial molecular-level machines

The concept of "machine" can be extended to the molecular level by designing supramolecular species capable of performing mechanical-like movements as a consequence of an appropriate energy supply. Molecular-level machines operate via electronic and nuclear rearrangements, for example, through some kind of chemical reaction. Like macroscopic machines, they are characterized by: (i) the kind of energy input supplied to make them work, (ii) the kind of movement performed by their components, (iii) the way in which their operation can be controlled and monitored, (iv) the possibility to repeat the operation at will and establish a cyclic process, (v) the time scale needed to complete a cycle of operation, and (vi) the function performed. A crucial issue is that concerning energy supply. Artificial machines powered by chemical energy ("fuels") produce waste products whose accumulation compromises the operation of the machine unless they are removed from the system. Photochemical and electrochemical energy inputs, however, can be used to make a machine work without formation of waste products. Examples of chemically, electrochemically, and photochemically powered machines investigated in our laboratory are reviewed, and future directions for the construction of novel machines are illustrated. The two most interesting kinds of applications of molecular-level machines are related to the mechanical aspect, which can be exploited, for example, for molecular-level transportation purposes, and the logic aspect, which can be exploited for information processing at the molecular level and, in the long run, for the construction of molecular level (chemical) computers.     

光驱动分子梭

分子梭在分子开关、分子逻辑门、信息存储等领域有着潜在的应用价值,是超分子化学领域的研究热点之一。本文综述了光驱动分子梭的研究进展：重点举例介绍了荧光光谱识别法和圆二色光谱识别法这两种识别光驱动分子梭位置状态的方法;阐述了构建光驱动轮烷分子梭的新型方法学,包括光驱动环糊精[2]轮烷和[1]轮烷分子梭的定向合成,举例介绍了光间接驱动的轮烷分子梭,以及光驱动[3]轮烷型分子梭和分子梭聚合物;举例说明了光驱动分子梭的功能性应用,用光驱动分子梭来模拟分子水平的逻辑门,研究光驱动分子梭体系中的能量传递机理,以及非溶液态的光驱动分子梭;并对分子梭今后的发展做了展望。     

Rational Design of pH‐Responsive DNA Motifs with General Sequence Compatibility

Reconfigurable molecular events are key to molecular machines. In response to external cues, molecular machines rearrange/change their structures to perform certain functions. Such machines exist in nature, for example cell surface receptors, and have been artificially engineered. To be able to build sophisticated and efficient molecular machines for an increasing range of applications, constant efforts have been devoted to developing new mechanisms of controllable structural reconfiguration. Herein, we report a general design principle for pH‐responsive DNA motifs for general DNA sequences (not limited to triplex or i‐motif forming sequences). We have thoroughly characterized such DNA motifs by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and fluorescence spectroscopy and demonstrated their applications in dynamic DNA nanotechnology. We expect that it will greatly facilitate the development of DNA nanomachines, biosensing/bioimaging, drug delivery, etc.     

浅谈2016年诺贝尔化学奖:分子机器

2016年诺贝尔化学奖颁给了Jean-Pierre Sauvage、Fraser Stoddart和Ben Feringa,以表彰他们在设计与合成分子机器领域的卓越贡献.分子机器是模拟自然界的生物大分子机器或宏观机器的分子,科学家通过精巧的设计,利用有机合成反应构建这些内部能相对运动的分子,实现从分子层面的精确控制.本次诺贝尔化学奖颁给了尚无实际应用的分子机器,给未来带来了无限可能.     

分子组装机器：纳米工厂

Molecular machines have attracted significant attentions as one of the most promising aspects of chemistry for their potential applications ever since receiving the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The molecular assembler, also called the nanofactory, is a novel type of molecular machines that are capable of controlling the chemical reactions precisely at the microscopic level. As an analog to the macroscopic factories, nanofactories are comprised of a "transporting" part, the molecular walkers, and an "assembling" part, the molecular robotic arms. In this review, we provide a brief introduction of the research progress in recent years together with analysis on the principles of designing, constructing and operating molecular assemblers. We also summarize the prospects and challenges in the research area of molecular assemblers.     

Molecular Tweezers: Concepts and Applications

Taken to the molecular level, the concept of “tweezers” opens a rich and fascinating field at the convergence of molecular recognition, biomimetic chemistry and nanomachines. Composed of a spacer bridging two interaction sites, the behaviour of molecular tweezers is strongly influenced by the flexibility of their spacer. Operating through an “induced‐fit” recognition mechanism, flexible molecular tweezers select the conformation(s) most appropriate for substrate binding. Their adaptability allows them to be used in a variety of binding modes and they have found applications in chirality signalling. Rigid spacers, on the contrary, display a limited number of binding states, which lead to selective and strong substrate binding following a “lock and key” model. Exquisite selectivity may be expressed with substrates as varied as C₆₀, nanotubes and natural cofactors, and applications to molecular electronics and enzyme inhibition are emerging. At the crossroad between flexible and rigid spacers, stimulus‐responsive molecular tweezers controlled by ionic, redox or light triggers belong to the realm of molecular machines, and, applied to molecular tweezing, open doors to the selective binding, transport and release of their cargo. Applications to controlled drug delivery are already appearing. The past 30 years have seen the birth of molecular tweezers; the next many years to come will surely see them blooming in exciting applications.     

Cyclodextrin Molecular Reactors

The ability of cyclodextrins to form inclusion complexes with hydrophobic species in aqueous solution makes them well-suited to the development of molecular reactors, to be used as miniature reaction vessels in order to control the outcomes of chemical transformations at the molecular level. In this manner, reaction rates can be increased and products may be obtained that are different to those normally accessible from reactions in free solution. Examples used to illustrate these effects include: the application of cyclodextrins to control the regioselectivity of bromination of aromatic substrates with pyridinium dichlorobromate: the use of a metallocyclodextrin to increase the rate of hydrolysis of a phosphate triester by almost five orders of magnitude; the development of modified cyclodextrins to increase the rates and reverse the regioselectivity of nitrile oxide cycloadditions ; and the use of a cyclodextrin dimer to change the ratio of formation of indigoid dyes by a factor of more than 3500.     

Molecular Machines Working on Surfaces and at Interfaces

In the past ten years a great variety of artificial molecular machines have been constructed, and very interesting concepts for controlling molecular‐level movements by external inputs have been developed. Most of the studies, however, have been performed in solution, where the investigated systems contain a huge number of molecules which behave independently from one another because they cannot be addressed individually. Before such systems can find applications in many fields of technology, they must be interfaced with the macroscopic world by ordering them in some way so that they can behave coherently and can be addressed in space. The problem of obtaining ordered arrays of molecular machines can be addressed by a variety of techniques, which include deposition on surfaces, incorporation into polymers, organization at interfaces, and immobilization in membranes or porous materials. In the last few years, the development of scanning‐probe techniques has also enabled direct observation and manipulation of single molecular‐machine molecules on surfaces. Techniques of this kind have opened novel routes to the study of molecular machines, and have also contributed to better understanding the differences between movement at the macroscopic and molecular levels. This paper reviews some recent achievements in the field of molecular machines working on surfaces and at interfaces, as single molecules or ordered arrays. Hybrid natural–artificial machines are also discussed, and the working mechanism of some natural machines is illustrated for the purpose of comparison.