Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
11:22
Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1
Published on: July 11, 2017
Synthetic mechanochemical molecular swimmer
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, United Kingdom. r.golestanian@sheffield.ac.uk
Physical Review Letters
|September 28, 2010
Summary
This study introduces a minimal molecular swimmer using mechanochemical propulsion. Its speed follows the Michaelis-Menten kinetics, similar to enzymes, depending on fuel concentration.
Area of Science:
- Molecular engineering
- Biophysics
- Chemical kinetics
Background:
- Designing artificial molecular machines requires understanding propulsion mechanisms at the nanoscale.
- Low Reynolds number propulsion relies on specific conformational changes driven by energy input.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a minimal molecular swimmer design based on mechanochemical propulsion.
- To analyze the swimmer's behavior within the framework of stochastic swimmers.
- To investigate the relationship between swimming velocity and fuel concentration.
Main Methods:
- Designing a molecular swimmer with electrostatic actuation via catalyzed chemical reactions.
- Utilizing a mechanochemical cycle for conformational changes.
- Applying the stochastic swimmer framework for analysis in a noisy environment.
Main Results:
- The proposed molecular swimmer achieves propulsion through induced conformational changes.
- The system's dynamics are analyzed considering molecular-scale noise.
- Swimming velocity exhibits Michaelis-Menten kinetics with respect to fuel concentration.
Conclusions:
- A minimal molecular swimmer design is feasible using mechanochemical principles.
- The swimmer's performance is predictable and follows established kinetic rules.
- This work contributes to the development of artificial molecular machines.
