https://phys.org/news/2022-11-fluorescence-light-driven-molecular-motors.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] [*] Remember me Sign In Click here to sign in with or Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * Medical Xpress Medicine * Tech Xplore Technology * * share this! * 102 * 28 * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Chemistry 3. Biochemistry 1. Home 2. Chemistry 3. Analytical Chemistry * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- November 4, 2022 Fluorescence achieved in light-driven molecular motors by University of Groningen Light-driven molecular motors light up Two photofunctions, Photoluminescence (PL) and unidirectional rotation are combined by hybridizing a PL dye and a molecular motor. The molecular design provides photoregulation of these functions as well as additional synergistic effects. Credit: Ryojun Toyoda Rotary molecular motors were first created in 1999, in the laboratory of Ben Feringa, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Groningen. These motors are driven by light. For many reasons, it would be good to be able to make these motor molecules visible. The best way to do this is to make them fluoresce. However, combining two light-mediated functions in a single molecule is quite challenging. The Feringa laboratory has now succeeded in doing just that, in two different ways. These two types of fluorescing light-driven rotary motors were described in Nature Communications (September 30) and Science Advances (November 4). "After the successful design of molecular motors in the past decades, an important next goal was to control various functions and properties using such motors," explains Feringa, who shared in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016. "As these are light-powered rotary motors, it is particularly challenging to design a system that would have another function that is controlled by light energy, in addition to the rotary motion." Feringa and his team were particularly interested in fluorescence since this is a prime technique that is widely used for detection, for example in biomedical imaging. Usually, two such photochemical events are incompatible in the same molecule; either the light-driven motor operates and there is no fluorescence or there is fluorescence and the motor does not operate. Feringa says, "We have now demonstrated that both functions can exist in parallel in the same molecular system, which is rather unique." Ryojun Toyoda, a postdoctoral researcher in the Feringa group, who now holds a professor position at Tohoku University in Japan, added a fluorescent dye to a classic Feringa rotary motor. "The trick was to prevent these two functionalities from blocking each other," says Toyoda. He managed to quench the direct interactions between the dye and the motor. This was done by positioning the dye perpendicular to the upper part of the motor to which it was attached. "This limits the interaction," Toyoda explains. Different colors In this way, the fluorescence and the rotary function of the motor can coexist. Furthermore, it turned out that changing the solvent allows him to tune the system: "By varying the solvent polarity, the balance between both functions can be changed." This means that the motor has become sensitive to its environment, which could point the way for future applications. Co-author Shirin Faraji, professor of Theoretical Chemistry at the university of Groningen, helped to explain how this happens. Kiana Moghaddam, a postdoc in her group, performed extensive quantum mechanical calculations and demonstrated how the key energetics governing the photo-excited dynamics strongly depend on the solvent polarity. [INS::INS] Another useful property of this fluorescing motor molecule is that different dyes could be attached to it as long as they have a similar structure. "So, it is relatively easy to create motors that are glowing in different colors," says Toyoda. Light-driven molecular motors light up The dual-function motor was prepared by chemically attaching an antenna to a molecular motor. Rotation and photoluminescence (PL) can be controlled using light of different wavelengths. Credit: Lukas Pfeifer Antenna A second fluorescent motor was constructed by Lukas Pfeifer, also while working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Feringa group. He has since joined the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland: "My solution was based on a motor molecule that I had already made, which is driven by two low-energy near-infrared photons." Motors that are powered by near-infrared light are useful in biological systems, as this light penetrates deeper into tissue than visible light and is less harmful to the tissue than UV light. "I added an antenna to the motor molecule that collects the energy of two infrared photons and transfers it to the motor. While working on this, we discovered that with some modifications, the antenna could also cause fluorescence," says Pfeifer. It turned out that the molecule can have two different excited states: in one state, the energy is transferred to the motor part and drives rotation, while the other state causes the molecule to fluoresce. Power "In the case of this second motor, the entire molecule fluoresces," explains Professor Maxim Pshenichnikov, who performed spectroscopic analysis of both types of fluorescent motor and who is a co-author of both papers. "This motor is one chemical entity on which the wave function is not localized and, depending on the energy level, can have two different effects. By altering the wavelength of the light, and thus the energy that the molecule receives, you get either rotation or fluorescence." Faraji adds, "Our synergized in-principle and in-practice approach highlights the interplay between theoretical and experimental studies, and it illustrates the power of such combined efforts." Now that the team has combined both motion and fluorescence in the same molecule, a next step would be to show motility and detect the molecule's location simultaneously by tracing the fluorescence. Feringa says, "This is very powerful and we might apply it to show how these motors might traverse a cell membrane or move inside a cell, as fluorescence is a widely used technique to show where molecules are in cells. We could also use it to trace the movement that is induced by the light-powered motor, for instance on a nanoscale trajectory or perhaps trace motor-induced transport on the nanoscale. This is all part of follow-up research." More information: Ryojun Toyoda et al, Synergistic interplay between photoisomerization and photoluminescence in a light-driven rotary molecular motor, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-022-33177-0 Lukas Pfeifer et al, Dual Function Artificial Molecular Motors Performing Rotation and Photoluminescence, Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0410. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/ sciadv.add0410 Journal information: Science Advances , Nature Communications Provided by University of Groningen Citation: Fluorescence achieved in light-driven molecular motors (2022, November 4) retrieved 5 November 2022 from https://phys.org/ news/2022-11-fluorescence-light-driven-molecular-motors.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Explore further Infrared light antenna powers molecular motor --------------------------------------------------------------------- 130 shares * Facebook * Twitter * Email Feedback to editors * Featured * Last Comments * Popular Using molecular isomerization in polymer gels to hide passcodes Nov 04, 2022 0 The direct measurement of a proton's generalized polarizabilities in the strong quantum chromodynamics regime Nov 04, 2022 0 Firing protons at fluorine-19 helps explain calcium content in oldest observed star Nov 03, 2022 4 Three factors that might explain why some snails survived the end-Triassic mass extinction event Nov 03, 2022 0 Crows able to understand the concept of recursion Nov 03, 2022 9 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [gif] Oldest planetary debris in our galaxy found in new study 19 hours ago [gif] New study of comets provides insight into chemical composition of early solar system Nov 04, 2022 [gif] Endangered Devils Hole pupfish is one of the most inbred animals known Nov 04, 2022 [gif] Biodiversity of Europe's mammals as rich as it was 8,000 years ago, according to new research Nov 04, 2022 [gif] Fire in the Amazon is associated more with agricultural burning and deforestation than with drought Nov 04, 2022 [gif] 'Click' chemistry may help treat dogs with bone cancer, study finds Nov 04, 2022 [gif] Gaining structural insight into the influenza virus Nov 04, 2022 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Relevant PhysicsForums posts Nucleophilicity with respect to the solvent 20 hours ago Valid shapes of DNA Nov 03, 2022 Dissolving Particles in Oil (but Water resistant) Nov 03, 2022 Do both the oxide & oxygenless ammonia combine with bleach to make poison? Nov 02, 2022 Reusing Isopropyl Alcohol bottle for Drinking Water? Nov 02, 2022 Mining waste for cheaper hydrogen fuel production Oct 26, 2022 More from Chemistry --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Related Stories [gif] Infrared light antenna powers molecular motor Oct 28, 2020 [gif] Locked movement in molecular motor and rotor Jun 01, 2017 [gif] Scientists design superfast molecular motor Jun 18, 2021 [gif] Single-molecule experiments reveal force capability of artificial molecular motors Apr 13, 2022 [gif] Using a molecular motor to switch the preference of anion-binding catalysts Dec 06, 2019 [gif] Molecular motors direct the fate of stem cells Jan 29, 2020 * Recommended for you [gif] Antibiotics boosted with new targeted delivery system Nov 04, 2022 [gif] Could coffee offer protection from catching COVID-19? Nov 03, 2022 [gif] A strategy to fine-tune the properties of Lewis bases for electrochemical carbon dioxide capture Nov 03, 2022 [gif] Preventing resistance in cancer therapy Nov 03, 2022 [gif] A first-of-its-kind framework to characterize hydrogels for biomedical scientists and engineers Nov 03, 2022 [gif] Chemists stabilize hard-to-tame chloride compound Nov 03, 2022 Load comments (0) Let us know if there is a problem with our content Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request [-- please select one -- ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (only if you want to be contacted back) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. E-mail the story Fluorescence achieved in light-driven molecular motors Your friend's email [ ] Your email [ ] [ ] I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn more Your name [ ] Note Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message [ ] Send Newsletter sign up Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. [ ] Subscribe More information Privacy policy Medical Xpress Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news Tech Xplore Tech Xplore The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances Science X Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Newsletters [ ] Subscribe Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox Follow us * * * * * Top * Home * Search * Mobile version * Help * FAQ * About * Contact * Science X Account * Sponsored Account * Archive * News wire * Android app * iOS app * RSS feeds * Push notification (c) Phys.org 2003 - 2022 powered by Science X Network Privacy policy Terms of use Your Privacy This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Ok Cookie options E-mail newsletter [ ] Subscribe Follow us * * * * It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. What are the consequences? x Quantcast