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Interlocked Molecules, Molecular Machines, Motors and Muscles

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2018) | Viewed by 19640

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Frédéric Coutrot

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Guest Editor

Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), Supramolecular Machines and Architectures Team, UMR 5247 CNRS, Université de Montpellier, ENSCM, case courrier 1706, Bâtiment Chimie (17), 3ème étage, Faculté des Sciences, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
Interests: molecular machines; molecular muscles; interlocked molecules; rotaxanes; lasso; double-lasso; glycorotaxanes; peptides; template driven reaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry, 2016, awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, James Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Lucas Feringa, has contributed to highlighting the research field of molecular machines. Despite the numerous appealing and very sophisticated examples of biomolecular machines that one can find in nature, and which are essential for life, synthetic laboratory-made molecular machines are still in their infancy. Since the first interlocked molecular machine was described in 1994, numerous systems of stimuli-responsive molecular machinery and motors have been reported around the world. The possibility to change, with control, the properties of a molecule, depending on the machinery, confers growing interest for these intriguing molecules in a wide range of fields, such as nanomaterials or biology.

This Special Issue aims at covering the field of interlocked molecules, molecular machines, motors, and muscles. Researchers in these fields are, therefore, warmly invited to propose relevant state-of-the-art reviews, perspectives, and research papers to be published in this Special Issue of Molecules.

Dr. Frédéric Coutrot
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

molecular machine
molecular motor
molecular muscle
molecular shuttle
molecular switch
molecular device
interlocked molecule
templated reaction
molecular station

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 10372 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrochemically Triggered Co-Conformational Switching in a [2]catenane Comprising a Non-Symmetric Calix[6]arene Wheel and a Two-Station Oriented Macrocycle

by Valeria Zanichelli, Luca Dallacasagrande, Arturo Arduini, Andrea Secchi, Giulio Ragazzon, Serena Silvi and Alberto Credi

Molecules 2018, 23(5), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23051156 - 11 May 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4095

Abstract

Catenanes with desymmetrized ring components can undergo co-conformational rearrangements upon external stimulation and can form the basis for the development of molecular rotary motors. We describe the design, synthesis and properties of a [2]catenane consisting of a macrocycle—the ‘track’ ring—endowed with two distinct recognition sites (a bipyridinium and an ammonium) for a calix[6]arene—the ‘shuttle’ ring. By exploiting the ability of the calixarene to thread appropriate non-symmetric axles with directional selectivity, we assembled an oriented pseudorotaxane and converted it into the corresponding oriented catenane by intramolecular ring closing metathesis. Cyclic voltammetric experiments indicate that the calixarene wheel initially surrounds the bipyridinium site, moves away from it when it is reduced, and returns in the original position upon reoxidation. A comparison with appropriate model compounds shows that the presence of the ammonium station is necessary for the calixarene to leave the reduced bipyridinium site. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interlocked Molecules, Molecular Machines, Motors and Muscles)

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13 pages, 4360 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Synthesis and Guest Recognition of Switchable Pt-Salphen Based Molecular Tweezers

by Lorien Benda, Benjamin Doistau, Bernold Hasenknopf and Guillaume Vives

Molecules 2018, 23(5), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23050990 - 24 Apr 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4560

Abstract

Molecular tweezers are artificial receptors that have an open cavity generated by two recognition units pre-organized by a spacer. Switchable molecular tweezers, using a stimuli-responsive spacer, are particularly appealing as prototypes of the molecular machines that combine mechanical motion and allosteric recognition properties. In this present study, the synthesis of switchable molecular tweezers composed of a central terpyridine unit substituted in 4,4″ positions by two Pt(II)-salphen complexes is reported. The terpyridine ligand can be reversibly converted upon Zn(II) coordination from a free ‘U’-shaped closed form to a coordinated ‘W’ open form. This new substitution pattern enables a reverse control of the mechanical motion compared to the previously reported 6,6″ substituted terpyridine-based tweezers. Guest binding studies with aromatic guests showed an intercalation of coronene in the cavity created by the Pt-salphen moieties in the closed conformation. The formation of 1:1 host-guest complex was investigated by a combination of NMR studies and DFT calculations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interlocked Molecules, Molecular Machines, Motors and Muscles)

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Graphical abstract

2217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Secondary and Tertiary Amide Moieties are Molecular Stations for Dibenzo-24-crown-8 in [2]Rotaxane Molecular Shuttles?

by Benjamin Riss-Yaw, Justine Morin, Caroline Clavel and Frédéric Coutrot

Molecules 2017, 22(11), 2017; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules22112017 - 21 Nov 2017

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5104

Abstract

Interlocked molecular machines like [2]rotaxanes are intriguing aesthetic molecules. The control of the localization of the macrocycle, which surrounds a molecular axle, along the thread leads to translational isomers of very different properties. Although many moieties have been used as sites of interactions for crown ethers, the very straightforwardly obtained amide motif has more rarely been envisaged as molecular station. In this article, we report the use of secondary and tertiary amide moieties as efficient secondary molecular station in pH-sensitive molecular shuttles. Depending on the N-substitution of the amide station, and on deprotonation or deprotonation-carbamoylation, the actuation of the molecular machinery differs accordingly to very distinct interactions between the axle and the DB24C8. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interlocked Molecules, Molecular Machines, Motors and Muscles)

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Review

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 6433 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

From the Synthesis of Nanovehicles to Participation in the First Nanocar Race—View from the French Team

by Henri-Pierre Jacquot de Rouville, Claire Kammerer and Gwénaël Rapenne

Molecules 2018, 23(3), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23030612 - 08 Mar 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5283

Abstract

This review article presents our accomplished work on the synthesis of molecular triptycene wheels and their introduction into nanovehicles such as wheelbarrows and nanocars, equipped with two and four wheels, respectively. The architecture of nanovehicles is based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which provide a potential cargo zone. Our strategy allowed us to obtain planar or curved nanocars, exhibiting different mobilities on metallic surfaces. Our curved nanocar participated in the first nanocar race organized in Toulouse (France) on 28 and 29 April 2017. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interlocked Molecules, Molecular Machines, Motors and Muscles)

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