Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & University Center for Nano Science and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Nat Commun. 2023 May 19;14(1):2869. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38308-9.
Biological and synthetic molecular motors, fueled by various physical and chemical means, can perform asymmetric linear and rotary motions that are inherently related to their asymmetric shapes. Here, we describe silver-organic micro-complexes of random shapes that exhibit macroscopic unidirectional rotation on water surface through the asymmetric release of cinchonine or cinchonidine chiral molecules from their crystallites asymmetrically adsorbed on the complex surfaces. Computational modeling indicates that the motor rotation is driven by a pH-controlled asymmetric jet-like Coulombic ejection of chiral molecules upon their protonation in water. The motor is capable of towing very large cargo, and its rotation can be accelerated by adding reducing agents to the water.
生物和合成分子马达，通过各种物理和化学手段供能，可以进行不对称的线性和旋转运动，这些运动与它们不对称的形状密切相关。在这里，我们描述了银有机微复合物的随机形状，这些复合物通过其在复合物表面上不对称吸附的结晶中不对称释放金鸡纳碱或金鸡纳啶手性分子，在水面上表现出宏观的单向旋转。计算模型表明，马达的旋转是由手性分子在水中质子化时受 pH 控制的不对称喷射状库仑力驱动的。该马达能够拖曳非常大的货物，并且可以通过向水中添加还原剂来加速其旋转。
