Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025
08:40
Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
11.5K
Photoactivated Artificial Molecular Motors.
Stefano Corra1,2, Massimiliano Curcio1,2, Alberto Credi1,2
1CLAN-Center for Light Activated Nanostructures, Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e Fotoreattività, CNR area della ricerca Bologna, via Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy.
JACS Au
|May 26, 2023
Summary
Scientists are developing light-driven artificial molecular motors for advanced energy storage and bionanotechnology. Achieving directional motion requires precise control over light-activated and thermal reactions for future applications.
Area of Science:
- Molecular engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Molecular motors enable precise long-range motion, crucial for energy storage and bionanotechnology.
- Recent advances focus on directional operation away from thermal equilibrium, creating artificial molecular motors.
- Photochemical processes offer a tunable, clean energy source for activating molecular motors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key aspects of light-driven artificial molecular motors.
- To provide a critical assessment of design, operation, and technological potential.
- To offer a future perspective on advances in this research area.
Main Methods:
- Focus on light-driven artificial molecular motors.
- Analysis of recent examples and case studies.
- Critical assessment of design and operational criteria.
Main Results:
- Light-driven molecular motors are challenging but promising.
- Successful operation requires coupling thermal and photoinduced reactions.
- Significant potential exists for energy storage and bionanotechnology applications.
Conclusions:
- Judicious coupling of reactions is key for light-driven molecular motors.
- Artificial molecular motors have broad technological potential.
- Future research will advance the design and application of these systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:32Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
8.2K
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
8.2K
01:48ATP Synthase: Mechanism
14.8K
In animals, the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase is the key protein that synthesizes ATP molecules through a complex catalytic mechanism. While the nuclear genome encodes the majority of ATP synthase subunits, the mitochondrial genome encodes some of the enzyme's most critical components. The formation of this multi-subunit enzyme is a complex multi-step process regulated at the level of transcription, translation, and assembly. Defects in one or more of these steps can result in decreased...
14.8K
01:18ATP Synthase: Structure
12.7K
ATP synthase or ATPase is among the most conserved proteins found in bacteria, mammals, and plants. This enzyme can catalyze a forward reaction in response to the electrochemical gradient, producing ATP from ADP and inorganic phosphate. ATP synthase can also work in a reverse direction by hydrolyzing ATP and generating an electrochemical gradient. Different forms of ATP synthases have evolved special features to meet the specific demands of the cell. Based on their specific feature, ATP...
12.7K
01:27ATP Driven Pumps I: An Overview
8.3K
ATP-driven pumps, also known as transport ATPases, are integral membrane proteins. They have binding sites for ATP located on the membrane's cytosolic side and the ion-conducting domain in the transmembrane region. These pumps use the free energy released from ATP hydrolysis to move the solutes across cell membranes against an electrochemical gradient.
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
There are four main types of ATP-driven pumps - P-type, V-type, F-type, and ABC transporter. All these pumps are of varying complexities and...
8.3K
01:58Mechanical Protein Functions
5.0K
Proteins perform many mechanical functions in a cell. These proteins can be classified into two general categories- proteins that generate mechanical forces and proteins that are subjected to mechanical forces. Proteins providing mechanical support to the structure of the cell, such as keratin, are subjected to mechanical force, whereas proteins involved in cell movement and transport of molecules across cell membranes, such as an ion pump, are examples of generating mechanical force.
5.0K
01:34ATP Driven Pumps II: P-type Pumps
5.0K
The P-type pumps are a large family of integral membrane transporter ATPases. They are divided into five major types based on substrate specificity, from I to V.
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
A typical P-type pump has three cytosolic domains: nucleotide-binding (N), phosphorylation (P), and activator (A) domains. These domains are connected to the membrane-spanning helices by short amino acid segments. ATP hydrolysis and covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate formation are crucial parts of the catalytic cycle. At the highly...
5.0K