Fluidic supramolecular nano- and microfibres as molecular rails for regulated movement of nanosubstances

Nano- and micro-sized fibrous architectures are ubiquitous in nature; in particular, microtubules have an essential role within live cells, as tracks for transporting objects to a desired place, driven by molecular motors such as dynein and kinesin. Such functions of bionanofibres motivated us to construct an artificial supramolecular rail using the fluidic property of self-assembled glycolipid nanofibres. Artificial supramolecular nanofibres constructed through molecular self-assembly of small molecules have recently attracted considerable attention for their unique properties, such as reversible formation/destruction under mild conditions and various stimuli responsiveness. In this paper, we show that a supramolecular nanofibre has sufficient fluidity, on the basis of its non-crystalline nature, to function as a molecular track for the directional movement of attached molecules, proteins and nanobeads along the fibre.