ORGN 45 |
| Artificial molecular muscles may offer the high performance which is required for artificial hearts, artificial limbs, human robots etc. Nano-scale designs of molecules with controlled motions were recently developed in several groups. We present here the idea of using a doubly-threaded rotaxane as a molecular muscle which can be integrated ultimately into macroscopic artificial muscles. The rotaxane molecule (Box) is composed of two interlocked filaments which can glide along on another through the terminal crown ether loops. These crown ether loops make mechanical motions along the filaments – a process which can be controlled by regulating the pH value of the system. That is, under acidic conditions, the crown ethers stay with ammonium sites, while addition of a base to the system results in the deprotonation of the ammonium center, causing the macrocyles to move to the bipyridinium sites. Thus, the doubly-threaded [2]rotaxane displays a contraction/extension motion that is similar to that of a real muscle.
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Materials, Devices, and Switches
8:00 AM-12:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Room 132, Oral
Division of Organic Chemistry |
