title: Soft-Mechanochemistry: Mechanochemistry Inspired by Nature.
abstract: Cells and bacteria use mechanotransduction processes to transform a mechanical force into a chemical/biochemical response. The area of chemistry where chemical reactions are induced by mechanical forces is called mechanochemistry. Over the last few years, chemists developed force-induced reactions affecting covalent bonds in molecules under tension which requires high energy input and/or high intensity forces. In contrast, in nature, mechanotransduction processes take place with forces of much weaker intensity and much less demanding energy. They are mainly based on protein conformational changes or changes in supramacromolecular architectures. Mechanochemistry based on such low-energy-demanding processes and which does not affect chemical bonds can be called soft-mechanochemistry. In this feature article, we first discuss some examples of soft-mechanochemistry processes encountered in nature, in particular, cryptic sites, allowing us to define more precisely the concepts underlying soft-mechanochemistry. A series of examples, developed over the past few years, of chemomechanoresponsive systems based on soft-mechanochemistry principles are given. We describe, in particular, cryptic site surfaces, enzymatically active films whose activity can be modulated by stretching and films where stretching induces changes in their fluorescence properties. Finally, we give our view of the future of soft-mechanochemistry.
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM U1121, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France.|Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), and Fédération des Matériaux et Nanoscience d'Alsace (FMNA), Université de Strasbourg , 8 rue Saint Elisabeth, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lavalle
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Fouzia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boulmedais
authors.affiliation: Unité INSERM U1121, Biomaterials and Bioengineering, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France.|Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), and Fédération des Matériaux et Nanoscience d'Alsace (FMNA), Université de Strasbourg , 8 rue Saint Elisabeth, 67000 Strasbourg, France.|Institut Charles Sadron, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.|University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Study , 5 allée du Général Rouvillois, 67083 Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Sadron, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg , 23 rue du Loess, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jierry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular