Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Redox Reactions01:24

Redox Reactions

56.4K
Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
56.4K
Redox Equilibria: Overview01:23

Redox Equilibria: Overview

1.1K
A reduction-oxidation reaction is commonly called a redox reaction. In a redox reaction, electrons are transferred from one species to another rather than being shared between or among atoms. The reducing agent or reductant is the species that loses electrons and gets oxidized in the process. The species that gains electrons and gets reduced in the process is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Redox reactions are represented as two separate equations called half-reactions, where one equation...
1.1K
Chemiosmosis and ATP Synthesis01:22

Chemiosmosis and ATP Synthesis

264
The electron transport chain is a critical component of cellular respiration, occurring in the inner mitochondrial membrane. It facilitates the transfer of high-energy electrons from reduced cofactors NADH and FADH₂ to molecular oxygen, the final electron acceptor. This transfer of electrons through a series of protein complexes is tightly coupled to the translocation of protons across the membrane, generating a proton gradient essential for ATP synthesis.Electron Flow and Proton...
264
Carbon-dioxide Fixation01:28

Carbon-dioxide Fixation

87
Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...
87
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation02:17

Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation

3.4K
Catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes is a transition-metal catalyzed reduction of the double bond using molecular hydrogen to give alkanes. The mode of hydrogen addition follows syn stereochemistry.
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
3.4K
E2 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism02:45

E2 Reaction: Kinetics and Mechanism

10.7K
SN2 substitutions and E2 eliminations of alkyl halides proceed via a concerted pathway. While the nucleophile attacks the alpha carbon in SN2 reactions, it functions as a strong base and abstracts a beta hydrogen in the E2 mechanism. The rate-limiting transition state in E2 elimination reactions is characterized by partially broken carbon–hydrogen and carbon–halogen bonds and a partially formed pi bond between the alpha and beta carbons. The beta hydrogen and halide are eliminated...
10.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Mechanism of Visible-Light Photochemical Rearrangements of Conjugated Amide Enolates.

Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Correction to "Solvent-Dependent Ultrafast Photochemical Dynamics of <i>N</i>-Methyl Oxindole Overcrowded Alkene Molecular Motors".

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same author

Mutasynthesis and Antibiotic Activity of Mupirocin Analogues.

Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology·2026
Same author

Correction to "Monooxygenase Activity of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase".

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Molecular rotary motors switch direction.

Nature chemistry·2026
Same author

Enantioselective Lithiation of <i>N</i>-Benzyl Ureas with a Chiral Lithium Amide: Dicyclopropylmethyl (Dcpm) as an Organolithium-Resistant Nitrogen Protecting Group.

Organic letters·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 15, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
09:58

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation

Published on: May 22, 2016

11.8K

Redox-powered autonomous directional C-C bond rotation under enzyme control.

Jordan Berreur1, Olivia F B Watts1, Theo H N Bulless1

  • 1School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.

Nature
|July 16, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a novel synthetic molecular motor that uses a redox reaction network to achieve continuous, autonomous unidirectional motion. This breakthrough overcomes limitations of previous designs by employing concurrent oxidation and reduction pathways, mimicking biological systems.

More Related Videos

EPR Monitored Redox Titration of the Cofactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nar1
06:01

EPR Monitored Redox Titration of the Cofactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nar1

Published on: November 26, 2014

13.6K
Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition
08:31

Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition

Published on: October 3, 2018

8.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 15, 2025

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation
09:58

Light-driven Enzymatic Decarboxylation

Published on: May 22, 2016

11.8K
EPR Monitored Redox Titration of the Cofactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nar1
06:01

EPR Monitored Redox Titration of the Cofactors of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nar1

Published on: November 26, 2014

13.6K
Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition
08:31

Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition

Published on: October 3, 2018

8.6K

Area of Science:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Biological systems utilize out-of-equilibrium chemical reaction networks for energy conversion and mechanical work.
  • Artificial molecular machines have been developed using reaction networks, but are limited to a single reaction type, typically acylation-hydrolysis.
  • Existing synthetic systems for continuous molecular motion are scarce and rely on limited reaction classes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and demonstrate a synthetic molecular motor capable of continuous, autonomous unidirectional motion.
  • To explore the use of a redox reaction network for driving molecular motion.
  • To overcome the limitations of single-reaction-type networks in artificial molecular machines.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a synthetic molecular motor based on an achiral biphenyl structure.
  • Implementation of a redox reaction network with concurrent oxidation and reduction pathways.
  • Utilizing an oxidant and reductant as fuels to drive the motor's motion.

Main Results:

  • The redox reaction network successfully drove chemically fuelled continuous autonomous unidirectional motion about a C-C bond.
  • The motor design is structurally simple and based on an achiral biphenyl.
  • The system exploits enantioselectivity and functional separation of reactivity, inspired by enzyme catalysis.

Conclusions:

  • A novel redox reaction network can power continuous autonomous molecular motion in synthetic systems.
  • This approach broadens the scope of chemical reactions applicable to artificial molecular machines.
  • The findings pave the way for more sophisticated and biologically inspired molecular devices.