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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

Light‐Gated Control of Brownian Rotation by a Molecular Motor

  • Lukáš Severa1
  • Kateřina Bezděková1,2
  • Katarina Majerová Varga1
  • Guillaume Bastien1
  • Miroslav Stroka1
  • Ivana Císařová3
  • Martin Dračínský1
  • Jiří Kaleta1
  1. 1Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic
  2. 2Department of Organic Chemistry Faculty of Chemical Technology University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Prague Czech Republic
  3. 3Department of Inorganic Chemistry Faculty of Science Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
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Abstract

Controlling stochastic molecular motion in a predictable manner remains a major challenge in the development of functional molecular systems. Here we demonstrate that a light‐driven molecular motor can reversibly regulate Brownian rotation through remote steric interactions. We integrate an overcrowded alkene motor within a rigid triptycene scaffold, where it acts as a reversible steric gate for an alkynyl‐linked anthracene rotor. Photoisomerization modulates the steric environment around the rotor axis, switching the system between fast Brownian rotation and a sterically hindered regime. Variable‐temperature NMR spectroscopy reveals that one thermodynamically stable motor state exhibits rapid Brownian rotation of the anthracene unit about the alkynyl C─C≡C─C axis, whereas the other stable state displays hindered rotation, giving rise to two distinct rotameric states at low temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce this behavior and show that the rotational barrier changes by 31 kJ mol−1 between the two states, corresponding to an approximately five‐order‐of‐magnitude difference in the calculated rotational rates at 20 °C. These results demonstrate that light‐driven molecular motors can reversibly regulate stochastic molecular motion through steric control, providing a general strategy for coupling directional and Brownian dynamics within a single molecular system.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{severa2026lightgated,
  title = {{Light‐Gated Control of Brownian Rotation by a Molecular Motor}},
  author = {Lukáš Severa and Kateřina Bezděková and Katarina Majerová Varga and Guillaume Bastien and Miroslav Stroka and Ivana Císařová and Martin Dračínský and Jiří Kaleta},
  journal = {Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1002/anie.7061287},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.7061287},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Light‐Gated Control of Brownian Rotation by a Molecular Motor
AU  - Lukáš Severa
AU  - Kateřina Bezděková
AU  - Katarina Majerová Varga
AU  - Guillaume Bastien
AU  - Miroslav Stroka
AU  - Ivana Císařová
AU  - Martin Dračínský
AU  - Jiří Kaleta
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/21
JO  - Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
DO  - 10.1002/anie.7061287
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.7061287
AB  - Controlling stochastic molecular motion in a predictable manner remains a major challenge in the development of functional molecular systems. Here we demonstrate that a light‐driven molecular motor can reversibly regulate Brownian rotation through remote steric interactions. We integrate an overcrowded alkene motor within a rigid triptycene scaffold, where it acts as a reversible steric gate for an alkynyl‐linked anthracene rotor. Photoisomerization modulates the steric environment around the rotor axis, switching the system between fast Brownian rotation and a sterically hindered regime. Variable‐temperature NMR spectroscopy reveals that one thermodynamically stable motor state exhibits rapid Brownian rotation of the anthracene unit about the alkynyl C─C≡C─C axis, whereas the other stable state displays hindered rotation, giving rise to two distinct rotameric states at low temperature. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce this behavior and show that the rotational barrier changes by 31 kJ mol−1 between the two states, corresponding to an approximately five‐order‐of‐magnitude difference in the calculated rotational rates at 20 °C. These results demonstrate that light‐driven molecular motors can reversibly regulate stochastic molecular motion through steric control, providing a general strategy for coupling directional and Brownian dynamics within a single molecular system.
SN  - 1433-7851
SN  - 1521-3773
ER  -