An electric molecular motor

Long Zhang (), Yunyan Qiu, Wei-Guang Liu, Hongliang Chen, Dengke Shen, Bo Song, Kang Cai, Huang Wu, Yang Jiao, Yuanning Feng, James S. W. Seale, Cristian Pezzato, Jia Tian, Yu Tan, Xiao-Yang Chen, Qing-Hui Guo, Charlotte L. Stern, Douglas Philp, R. Dean Astumian (), William A. Goddard () and J. Fraser Stoddart ()
Additional contact information
Long Zhang: Northwestern University
Yunyan Qiu: Northwestern University
Wei-Guang Liu: California Institute of Technology
Hongliang Chen: Northwestern University
Dengke Shen: Northwestern University
Bo Song: Northwestern University
Kang Cai: Northwestern University
Huang Wu: Northwestern University
Yang Jiao: Northwestern University
Yuanning Feng: Northwestern University
James S. W. Seale: Northwestern University
Cristian Pezzato: Northwestern University
Jia Tian: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yu Tan: Northwestern University
Xiao-Yang Chen: Northwestern University
Qing-Hui Guo: Northwestern University
Charlotte L. Stern: Northwestern University
Douglas Philp: Northwestern University
R. Dean Astumian: University of Maine
William A. Goddard: California Institute of Technology
J. Fraser Stoddart: Northwestern University

Nature, 2023, vol. 613, issue 7943, 280-286

Abstract: Abstract Macroscopic electric motors continue to have a large impact on almost every aspect of modern society. Consequently, the effort towards developing molecular motors1–3 that can be driven by electricity could not be more timely. Here we describe an electric molecular motor based on a [3]catenane4,5, in which two cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene)6 (CBPQT4+) rings are powered by electricity in solution to circumrotate unidirectionally around a 50-membered loop. The constitution of the loop ensures that both rings undergo highly (85%) unidirectional movement under the guidance of a flashing energy ratchet7,8, whereas the interactions between the two rings give rise to a two-dimensional potential energy surface (PES) similar to that shown by FOF1 ATP synthase9. The unidirectionality is powered by an oscillating10 voltage11,12 or external modulation of the redox potential13. Initially, we focused our attention on the homologous [2]catenane, only to find that the kinetic asymmetry was insufficient to support unidirectional movement of the sole ring. Accordingly, we incorporated a second CBPQT4+ ring to provide further symmetry breaking by interactions between the two mobile rings. This demonstration of electrically driven continual circumrotatory motion of two rings around a loop in a [3]catenane is free from the production of waste products and represents an important step towards surface-bound14 electric molecular motors.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05421-6

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