{
  "abstract": "Living molecular architectures adapt and evolve by continuously exchanging energy with their surroundings. To mimic this behavior, synthetic tools have been developed to switch 25 artificial systems between states; however, these systems generally relax toward thermodynamically inert equilibria. Creating “life-like” synthetic materials that operate far from equilibrium therefore remains a major challenge. Here, we show that attaching light-activated supramolecular “pumping” motors to polymer chain ends enables the “sewing” of these chains with complementary polymer units bearing multiple macrocyclic side chains. This directional 30 entanglement is sustained by a dissipative, non-equilibrium process and generates mechanically bonded nanogels that transiently store the input light energy processed by the molecular pump. This strategy paves the way to active soft materials capable of functioning over time and performing work on their environment.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Center for Light Activated Nanostructures (CLAN",
    "Bologna and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche",
    "Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale “Toso Montanari",
    "Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna",
    "CNRS",
    "Institut Charles Sadron UPR",
    "Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche",
    "Université Paris Cité",
    "UMR CNRS 7057, Physics Department",
    "Dipartimento di Chimica “G. Ciamician",
    "Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-alimentari",
    "Institut Universitaire de France (IUF"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Chiara Taticchi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Axel Pinabiaux"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Lorenzo Marradi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Jessica Groppi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Silvia Spagnoli"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Anastasia Christoulaki"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Eric Buhler"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Mounir Maaloum"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        9,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Serena Silvi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        10,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Massimo Baroncini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Emilie Moulin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4,
        5,
        11
      ],
      "name": "Nicolas Giuseppone"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Alberto Credi",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2546-9801"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2jjpy096v7etm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008381/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2jjpy096v7etm",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008381/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1605|Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7211876745",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-06",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2jjpy096v7etm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15008381",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008381/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1605|Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes",
      "subfield": "organic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A molecular sewing machine",
  "title_text": "A molecular sewing machine",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2jjpy096v7etm",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}