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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Bacteriorhodopsin-Inspired Light-Driven Artificial Molecule Motors for Transmembrane Mass Transportation
Ganhua Xie1,2, Pei Li1, Zhiju Zhao3
1CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China.
Abstract:
In nature, biological machines and motors can selectively transport cargoes across the lipid membranes to efficiently perform various physiological functions via ion channels or ion pumps. It is interesting and challengeable to develop artificial motors and machines of nanodimensions to controllably regulate mass transport in compartmentalized systems. In this work, we show a system of artificial molecular motors that uses light energy to perform transmembrane molecule transport through synthetical nanochannels. After functionalizing the polymer nanochannels with azobenzene derivatives, these nanomachines exhibit autonomous selective transport behavior over a long distance upon simultaneous irradiation with UV (365 nm) and visible (430 nm) light. With new strategies or suitable materials for directed molecular movement, such device can be regarded as a precursor of artificial light-driven molecular pumps.
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