Dual-light control of nanomachines that integrate motor and modulator subunits.
A current challenge in the field of artificial molecular machines is the synthesis and implementation of systems that can produce useful work when fuelled with a constant source of external energy. The first experimental achievements of this kind consisted of machines with continuous unidirectional rotations and translations that make use of 'Brownian ratchets' to bias random motions. An intrinsic limitation of such designs is that an inversion of directionality requires heavy chemical modifications in the structure of the actuating motor part. Here we show that by connecting subunits made of both unidirectional light-driven rotary motors and modulators, which respectively braid and unbraid polymer chains in crosslinked networks, it becomes possible to reverse their integrated motion at all scales. The photostationary state of the system can be tuned by modulation of frequencies using two irradiation wavelengths. Under this out-of-equilibrium condition, the global work output (measured as the contraction or expansion of the material) is controlled by the net flux of clockwise and anticlockwise rotations between the motors and the modulators.
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Justin T
JT
Foy
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Quan
Q
Li
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Antoine
A
Goujon
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Jean-Rémy
JR
Colard-Itté
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Gad
G
Fuks
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Emilie
E
Moulin
Department of Mathematics, UMR CNRS 8628, Bâtiment 425, University Paris-Sud Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
Olivier
O
Schiffmann
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Damien
D
Dattler
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Daniel P
DP
Funeriu
SAMS Research Group, Institut Charles Sadron, University of Strasbourg - CNRS, 23 rue du Loess, BP 84047, 67034 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France.
Nicolas
N
Giuseppone