The 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, awarded for: "The Design and Synthesis of Molecular Machines".

Abstract

Keywords: Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Eraser Stoddart, Bernard L. Feringa, 2016, Nobel Prize, molecular machines Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa share the 2016 Nobel Prize Chemistry (1), awarded jointly to them for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. A molecular machine, or nanomachine, is any discrete number of molecular components that produce quasi-mechanical movements (output) response to specific stimuli (input). (2) This was demonstrated (3) 1983, when Jean-Paul Sauvage managed to synthesise a catenane (Figure 1), which is formed by linking together two ring-shaped molecules by a mechanical bond, a recently coined term to describe the connection between the macrocycles of a catenane. In order that the molecular machine can perform a specific task, its components must be able to move relation to one another, as is the case the two interlocked rings the catenane. It was Fraser Stoddart, who 1991 synthesised a rotaxane (4), which has a molecular axle threaded through a molecular ring (Figure 2a,b), and demonstrated that the ring could move up and down the axle, leading to such devices as a molecular elevator, a molecular muscle and a molecule-based computer chip. In 1999, Bernard Feringa managed to demonstrate a molecular motor (5), which the rotor blade spins continually the same direction. Using a molecular motor, he managed to rotate a glass cylinder that was 10,000 times bigger than the motor itself. concept of a has emerged, a version of which was developed at Rice University by the research group of James Tour (6), and consisted of a molecule with an H-shaped 'chassis' with fullerene groups attached at the four comers to act as wheels (Figure 3). However, the original device did not have a molecular motor, and so might not be regarded as an actual Feringa and his co-workers have synthesised a molecule with four motorized wheels, which they deposited onto a copper surface and used electrons from a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) to provide sufficient energy that they could drive some of the molecules a specific direction, similar fashion to steering a car. As a result of inelastic electron tunnelling, conformational changes are induced the rotors which propels the molecule over the surface. Since it is possible to change, individually, the direction of the rotary motion the motor units, either random or preferentially linear trajectories can be attained the self-propelling molecular 'four-wheel' device. It is believed that it might be possible to produce more sophisticated molecular cars, which a more complete control of the direction of motion can be achieved. (7) Jean-Francois Morin et al. (8) are working on a nanocar of the future, fitted with carborane wheels and a light powered helicene molecular motor. However, although a unidirectional rotation was observed the motor solution, it has not yet proved possible to drive it on a surface by means of light-energy. A nanocar race event, initially scheduled October 2016 and described as The First Ever Race of Molecule-Cars, has been postponed (9) in order to give enough time the teams to prepare and the microscope to be optimized. This postponement is essential to make the event a true > challenge. As yet, the real future molecular machines is unknown and probably unknowable, but we may note the following, taken from the 2016 Nobel Prize Chemistry website (10). …