• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Sidebar
IU

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Menu

ScIUConversations in Science at Indiana University

  • Home
  • Home
  • About ScIU
  • Write with Us!
  • Contact ScIU
  • The Writers and Editors of ScIU
  • ScIU in the Classroom
  • Annual Science Communication Symposium
  • Search

Chemistry Nobel: Rise of the (tiny) machines

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Benjamin E. Draper

Banner graphic announcing Sauvage, Stoddart, and Feringa as the winners of the 2016 Chemistry Nobel Prize

The turn of the 20th century saw an industrial revolution that saw the rise of machines to handle tasks previously beyond our grasp. Mechanization and automation in our civilization have created a higher quality of life than our physical bodies could ever achieve. Scientists are continually pushing the upper limits of engineering to create gigantic machines–from the International Space Station, orbiting the planet with a size greater than a football field, to massive oil rigs that drill the depths of our oceans. Recently, however, the Chemistry Nobel Committee recognized a group of scientists for their pioneering work to extend the lower bounds of machines.

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir James Fraser Stoddart, and Ben L. Feringa have split the 2016 Nobel Prize for Chemistry “for the design and synthesis of molecular machines” [1]. We are comfortable with the classic picture of machines that consist of gears and belts all moving in coordination with each other to complete a desired task. Sauvage, Stoddart, and Feringa have scaled the functions of these traditional mechanisms down to individual molecules. The group has replicated many  of the machines we are familiar with out of molecules that are 100 times thinner than a human hair [1]. Examples like Stoddart’s “molecular elevator” or Feringa’s “nanocar” show great promise for future development, leading the Nobel Committee to comment:

“…However, just as the world stood perplexed before the early machines, such as the first electric motors and steam engines, there is the potential for a similar explosive development of molecular machines. In a sense, we are at the dawn of a new industrial revolution of the twenty-first century, and the future will show how molecular machinery can become an integral part of our lives…”

 Prof. Amar Flood from the Indiana University Chemistry Department also commented on the award:

“This is well deserved recognition for an outstanding trio of pioneers in molecular machines. Each has made foundational contributions to our understanding of how to move matter around controllably and repeatably at the molecular level. I am extremely happy for each of them and overjoyed at the recognition for the field.”

Graphic showing the chemical make up of the double switch in the molecular machine.
Figure 1. Image of molecular machine created by the Flood Group. The two rings lock around the copper atoms (copper) bound to the tetrazine molecule (blue) creating a double switch that mimics the function of a muscle.

Prof. Flood previously served as a postdoctoral scholar under Prof. Stoddart, and has drawn upon that experience to design and create new molecular machines that exhibit autonomous motion here at IU. A recent publication from the group in the Journal of Inorganic Chemistry [2] shows that Prof. Flood’s group has been able to synthesize two juxtaposed molecular switches each capable of an “on” and “off” state.  One key feature of the Flood group’s molecular machine is its palindromic properties: just like the word “RACECAR,” the machine is the same both forwards and backwards, and so is the switch. This type of double switch setup has tremendous promise for applications that mimic molecular muscles.

As PhD student in the chemistry department I was excited to see the award go to Sauvage, Stoddart, and Feringa. Molecular machines have a fascinating future, and hopefully with the interest generated by this recognition the work will go from fundamental science to life changing applications in my lifetime.

[1] (2016). Nobel Media AB 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
[2] Benson, C. R., Share, A. I., Marzo, M. G., & Flood, A. H. (2016). Double Switching of Two Rings in Palindromic Pseudorotaxanes: Cooperativity and Mechanism of Motion. Inorganic Chemistry, 55(8), 3767-3776. doi:10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02554

Edited by Clara Boothby and Lana Ruck

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related

Filed under: Current Events, Cutting-Edge Science at IU

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Additional Content

Search ScIU

Categories

Tag cloud

#Education #scicomm animal behavior anthropology archaeology astronomy astrophysics Biology biotechnology Black History Month brain cannabinoids cannabis Chemistry climate change conservation coronavirus COVID–19 Diversity in Science diversity in STEM Ecology environment evolution geology history and philosophy of science infectious disease Interdisciplinary Interview Mental Health methods microbiology neuroscience outreach physics Plants primates psychology Research science communication science education Science Outreach science policy Statistics STEM women in STEM

Subscribe

Receive a weekly email with our new content! We will not share or use your information for any other purposes, and you may opt out at any time.

Please, insert a valid email.

Thank you, your email will be added to the mailing list once you click on the link in the confirmation email.

Spam protection has stopped this request. Please contact site owner for help.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Current Contributors

  • Log in
  • SPLAT
  • ScIU Guides

Indiana University

Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University | Privacy Notice | Accessibility Help

  • Home
  • About ScIU
  • Write with Us!
  • Contact ScIU
  • The Writers and Editors of ScIU
  • ScIU in the Classroom
  • Annual Science Communication Symposium
College of Arts + Sciences

Are you a graduate student at IUB? Would you like to write for ScIU? Email sciucomm@iu.edu


Subscribe

Subscribe By Email

Get every new post delivered right to your inbox.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 

Loading Comments...