Article (Scientific journals)
A single synthetic small molecule that generates force against a load
Lussis, Perrine; Svaldo Lanero, Tiziana; Bertocco, Andrea et al.
2011In Nature Nanotechnology, 6, p. 553-557
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
NatureNanotech2011_6_553.pdf
Publisher postprint (1.24 MB)
Request a copy

All documents in ORBi are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Keywords :
single molecule; molecular machine; atomic force microscopy
Abstract :
[en] Some biomolecules are able to generate directional forces by rectifying random thermal motions. This allows these molecular machines to perform mechanical tasks such as intracellular cargo transport or muscle contraction in plants and animals. Although some artificial molecular machines have been synthesized and used collectively to perform mechanical tasks, so far there have been no direct measurements of mechanical processes at the single-molecule level. Here we report measurements of the mechanical work performed by a synthetic molecule less than 5 nm long. We show that biased Brownian motion of the sub-molecular components in a hydro- gen-bonded [2]rotaxane—a molecular ring threaded onto a molecular axle—can be harnessed to generate significant directional forces. We used the cantilever of an atomic force microscope to apply a mechanical load to the ring during single-molecule pulling–relaxing cycles. The ring was pulled along the axle, away from the thermodynamically favoured binding site, and was then found to travel back to this site against an external load of 30 pN. Using fluctuation theorems, we were able to relate measurements of the work done at the level of individual rotaxane molecules to the free-energy change as previously determined from ensemble measurements. The results show that individual rotaxanes can generate directional forces of similar magnitude to those generated by natural molecular machines.
Disciplines :
Chemistry
Author, co-author :
Lussis, Perrine ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences)
Svaldo Lanero, Tiziana ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Nano-chimie et systèmes moléculaires
Bertocco, Andrea;  University of Edinburgh > School of Chemistry
Fustin, Charles-André;  Université catholique de Louvain > Institut de la Matière condensée et des nanosciences
Leigh, David A.;  University of Edinburgh > School of Chemistry
Duwez, Anne-Sophie  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de chimie (sciences) > Nano-chimie et systèmes moléculaires
Language :
English
Title :
A single synthetic small molecule that generates force against a load
Publication date :
2011
Journal title :
Nature Nanotechnology
ISSN :
1748-3387
eISSN :
1748-3395
Publisher :
Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom
Volume :
6
Pages :
553-557
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 08 September 2011

Statistics


Number of views
434 (57 by ULiège)
Number of downloads
4 (2 by ULiège)

Scopus citations®
 
94
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
76
OpenCitations
 
94

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBi