Publication Date:
2002-05-11
Description:
Light-powered molecular machines are conjectured to be essential constituents of future nanoscale devices. As a model for such systems, we have synthesized a polymer of bistable photosensitive azobenzenes. Individual polymers were investigated by single-molecule force spectroscopy in combination with optical excitation in total internal reflection. We were able to optically lengthen and contract individual polymers by switching the azo groups between their trans and cis configurations. The polymer was found to contract against an external force acting along the polymer backbone, thus delivering mechanical work. As a proof of principle, the polymer was operated in a periodic mode, demonstrating for the first time optomechanical energy conversion in a single-molecule device.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Hugel, Thorsten -- Holland, Nolan B -- Cattani, Anna -- Moroder, Luis -- Seitz, Markus -- Gaub, Hermann E -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2002 May 10;296(5570):1103-6.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Lehrstuhl fur Angewandte Physik & Center for Nanoscience, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 Munchen, Germany.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12004125" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Azo Compounds/*chemistry
;
Chemistry, Physical
;
Dimethyl Sulfoxide
;
*Light
;
Mechanics
;
Microscopy, Atomic Force
;
Molecular Conformation
;
Nanotechnology
;
Optics and Photonics
;
Peptides/*chemistry
;
Photochemistry
;
Physicochemical Phenomena
;
Polymers
;
Protein Conformation
;
Software
;
Spectrum Analysis
;
Temperature
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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