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Journal ArticleDOI

Artificial Molecular Machines.

TL;DR: The aim of this review is to present a unified view of the field of molecular machines by focusing on past achievements, present limitations, and future perspectives.
Abstract: The miniaturization of components used in the construction of working devices is being pursued currently by the large-downward (top-down) fabrication. This approach, however, which obliges solid-state physicists and electronic engineers to manipulate progressively smaller and smaller pieces of matter, has its intrinsic limitations. An alternative approach is a small-upward (bottom-up) one, starting from the smallest compositions of matter that have distinct shapes and unique properties-namely molecules. In the context of this particular challenge, chemists have been extending the concept of a macroscopic machine to the molecular level. A molecular-level machine can be defined as an assembly of a distinct number of molecular components that are designed to perform machinelike movements (output) as a result of an appropriate external stimulation (input). In common with their macroscopic counterparts, a molecular machine is characterized by 1) the kind of energy input supplied to make it work, 2) the nature of the movements of its component parts, 3) the way in which its operation can be monitored and controlled, 4) the ability to make it repeat its operation in a cyclic fashion, 5) the timescale needed to complete a full cycle of movements, and 6) the purpose of its operation. Undoubtedly, the best energy inputs to make molecular machines work are photons or electrons. Indeed, with appropriately chosen photochemically and electrochemically driven reactions, it is possible to design and synthesize molecular machines that do work. Moreover, the dramatic increase in our fundamental understanding of self-assembly and self-organizational processes in chemical synthesis has aided and abetted the construction of artificial molecular machines through the development of new methods of noncovalent synthesis and the emergence of supramolecular assistance to covalent synthesis as a uniquely powerful synthetic tool. The aim of this review is to present a unified view of the field of molecular machines by focusing on past achievements, present limitations, and future perspectives. After analyzing a few important examples of natural molecular machines, the most significant developments in the field of artificial molecular machines are highlighted. The systems reviewed include 1) chemical rotors, 2) photochemically and electrochemically induced molecular (conformational) rearrangements, and 3) chemically, photochemically, and electrochemically controllable (co-conformational) motions in interlocked molecules (catenanes and rotaxanes), as well as in coordination and supramolecular complexes, including pseudorotaxanes. Artificial molecular machines based on biomolecules and interfacing artificial molecular machines with surfaces and solid supports are amongst some of the cutting-edge topics featured in this review. The extension of the concept of a machine to the molecular level is of interest not only for the sake of basic research, but also for the growth of nanoscience and the subsequent development of nanotechnology.
Citations
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01 Dec 1991
TL;DR: In this article, self-assembly is defined as the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds.
Abstract: Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.

2,591 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In 1981, the macrocyclic methylene-bridged glycoluril hexamer (CB[6]) was dubbed "cucurbituril" by Mock and co-workers because of its resemblance to the most prominent member of the cucurbitaceae family of plants--the pumpkin.
Abstract: In 1981, the macrocyclic methylene-bridged glycoluril hexamer (CB[6]) was dubbed "cucurbituril" by Mock and co-workers because of its resemblance to the most prominent member of the cucurbitaceae family of plants--the pumpkin. In the intervening years, the fundamental binding properties of CB[6]-high affinity, highly selective, and constrictive binding interactions--have been delineated by the pioneering work of the research groups of Mock, Kim, and Buschmann, and has led to their applications in waste-water remediation, as artificial enzymes, and as molecular switches. More recently, the cucurbit[n]uril family has grown to include homologues (CB[5]-CB[10]), derivatives, congeners, and analogues whose sizes span and exceed the range available with the alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins. Their shapes, solubility, and chemical functionality may now be tailored by synthetic chemistry to play a central role in molecular recognition, self-assembly, and nanotechnology. This Review focuses on the synthesis, recognition properties, and applications of these unique macrocycles.

2,074 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
29 Mar 2002-Science
TL;DR: The field of supramolecular chemistry aims at developing highly complex chemical systems from components interacting through noncovalent intermolecular forces as mentioned in this paper, and has been a major field of research in biology and physics.
Abstract: Beyond molecular chemistry based on the covalent bond, supramolecular chemistry aims at developing highly complex chemical systems from components interacting through noncovalent intermolecular forces. Over the past quarter century, supramolecular chemistry has grown into a major field and has fueled numerous developments at the interfaces with biology and physics. Some of the conceptual advances and future challenges are profiled here.

2,008 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Some recent examples where dynamic covalent chemistry has been demonstrated are shown to emphasise the basic concepts of this area of science.
Abstract: Dynamic covalent chemistry relates to chemical reactions carried out reversibly under conditions of equilibrium control. The reversible nature of the reactions introduces the prospects of "error checking" and "proof-reading" into synthetic processes where dynamic covalent chemistry operates. Since the formation of products occurs under thermodynamic control, product distributions depend only on the relative stabilities of the final products. In kinetically controlled reactions, however, it is the free energy differences between the transition states leading to the products that determines their relative proportions. Supramolecular chemistry has had a huge impact on synthesis at two levels: one is noncovalent synthesis, or strict self-assembly, and the other is supramolecular assistance to molecular synthesis, also referred to as self-assembly followed by covalent modification. Noncovalent synthesis has given us access to finite supermolecules and infinite supramolecular arrays. Supramolecular assistance to covalent synthesis has been exploited in the construction of more-complex systems, such as interlocked molecular compounds (for example, catenanes and rotaxanes) as well as container molecules (molecular capsules). The appealing prospect of also synthesizing these types of compounds with complex molecular architectures using reversible covalent bond forming chemistry has led to the development of dynamic covalent chemistry. Historically, dynamic covalent chemistry has played a central role in the development of conformational analysis by opening up the possibility to be able to equilibrate configurational isomers, sometimes with base (for example, esters) and sometimes with acid (for example, acetals). These stereochemical "balancing acts" revealed another major advantage that dynamic covalent chemistry offers the chemist, which is not so easily accessible in the kinetically controlled regime: the ability to re-adjust the product distribution of a reaction, even once the initial products have been formed, by changing the reaction's environment (for example, concentration, temperature, presence or absence of a template). This highly transparent, yet tremendously subtle, characteristic of dynamic covalent chemistry has led to key discoveries in polymer chemistry. In this review, some recent examples where dynamic covalent chemistry has been demonstrated are shown to emphasise the basic concepts of this area of science.

1,880 citations

References
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MonographDOI
26 May 1995
TL;DR: From molecular to supramolescular chemistry: concepts and language of supramolecular chemistry, molecular recognition, information, complementarity molecular receptors - design principles and more.
Abstract: Part 1 From molecular to supramolecular chemistry: concepts and language of supramolecular chemistry. Part 2 Molecular recognition: recognition, information, complementarity molecular receptors - design principles spherical recognition - cryptates of metal cations tetrahedral recognition by macrotricyclic cryptands recognition of ammonium ions and related substrates binding and recognition of neutral moelcules. Part 3 Anion co-ordination chemistry and the recognition of anionic substrates. Part 4 Coreceptor molecules and multiple recognition: dinuclear and polynuclear metal ion cryptates linear recognition of molecular length by ditopic coreceptors heterotopic coreceptors - cyclophane receptors, amphiphilic receptors, large molecular cage multiple recognition in metalloreceptors supramolecular dynamics. Part 5 Supramolecular reactivity and catalysis: catalysis by reactive macrocyclic cation receptor molecules catalysis by reactive anion receptor molecules catalysis with cyclophane type receptors supramolecular metallo-catalysis cocatalysis - catalysis of synthetic reactions biomolecular and abiotic catalysis. Part 6 Transport processes and carrier design: carrier-mediated transport cation-transport processes - cation carriers anion transport processes - anion carriers coupled transport processes electron-coupled transpoort in a redox gradient proton-coupled transport in a pH gradient light-coupled transport processes transfer via transmembrane channels. Part 7 From supermolecules to polymolecular assemblies: heterogeneous molecular recognition - supramolecular solid materials from endoreceptors to exoreceptors - molecular recognition at surfaces molecular and supramolecular morphogenesis supramolecular heterogeneous catalysis. Part 8 Molecular and supramolecular devices: molecular recognition, information and signals - semiochemistry supramolecular photochemistry - molecular and supramolecular photonic devices light conversion and energy transfer devices photosensitive molecular receptors photoinduced electron transfer in photoactive devices photoinduced reactions in supramolecular species non-linear optical properties of supramolecular species supramolecular effects in photochemical hole burning molecular and supramolecular electronic devices supramolecular electrochemistry electron conducting devices - molecular wires polarized molecular wires - rectifying devices modified and switchable molecular wires molecular magnetic devices molecular and supramolecular ionic devices tubular mesophases. (Part contents).

8,168 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Nov 1994-Science
TL;DR: This experiment demonstrates the feasibility of carrying out computations at the molecular level by solving an instance of the directed Hamiltonian path problem with standard protocols and enzymes.
Abstract: The tools of molecular biology were used to solve an instance of the directed Hamiltonian path problem. A small graph was encoded in molecules of DNA, and the "operations" of the computation were performed with standard protocols and enzymes. This experiment demonstrates the feasibility of carrying out computations at the molecular level.

4,266 citations