title: Autonomous motors of a metal-organic framework powered by reorganization of self-assembled peptides at interfaces.
abstract: A variety of microsystems have been developed that harness energy and convert it to mechanical motion. Here we have developed new autonomous biochemical motors by integrating a metal-organic framework (MOF) and self-assembling peptides. The MOF is applied as an energy-storing cell that assembles peptides inside nanoscale pores of the coordination framework. The nature of peptides enables their assemblies to be reconfigured at the water/MOF interface, and thus converted to fuel energy. Reorganization of hydrophobic peptides can create a large surface-tension gradient around the MOF that can efficiently power its translational motion. As a comparison, the velocity normalized by volume for the diphenylalanine-MOF particle is faster and the kinetic energy per unit mass of fuel is more than twice as great as that for previous gel motor systems. This demonstration opens the route towards new applications of MOFs and reconfigurable molecular self-assembly, possibly evolving into a smart autonomous motor capable of mimicking swimming bacteria and, with integrated recognition units, harvesting target chemicals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City University of New York-Hunter College, 695 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikezoe
authors.forename: Gosuke
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Washino
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsui
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004151:Dipeptides; D004735:Energy Transfer; D055616:Microtechnology; D058608:Nanopores; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004151:Dipeptides; D010455:Peptides; C026650:phenylalanylphenylalanine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D003300:Copper