Light-controlled brake makes random molecular motion 300,000 times slower
Molecules are never still. Driven by thermal energy, they are constantly moving through space, while their individual parts also rotate relative to one another. Scientists at IOCB Prague have now shown that random motion within a molecule can be dramatically suppressed. Using light, they can slow down the relative rotation of two different parts of a single molecule by up to five orders of…
Scientists at IOCB Prague have discovered a method to control the random motion of molecules using light. By employing a light-controlled molecular motor, they were able to slow down the rotating parts of a molecule by up to 300,000 times. This is achieved by changing the motor's configuration, which in turn creates a steric barrier that hinders the rotation of the attached rotor.
The effect becomes even more pronounced as the temperature decreases, as the braked rotor would take approximately 350 billion years to complete a single rotation at very low temperatures. This breakthrough could pave the way for more complex molecular machines, as it provides a mechanism for regulating and coordinating the motion of individual components within these machines.
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