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05 October 2016
2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Revealing the World’s Smallest Nanomachine
05 October 2016
2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Revealing the World’s Smallest Nanomachine
At a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair; nanomachines are invisible to the human eye but with valuable implications in medicine and other fields
WASHINGTON — The 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded today to Jean-Pierre Sauvage of University of Strasbourg, France, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart of Edinburgh University, U.K., and Bernard L. Feringa of University of Groningen, Netherlands. The award was given for their theoretical work on “the design and synthesis of molecular machines.” The work of the three scientists opened up, and continues to expand to new horizons for chemically synthesized machines only nanometers in scale—including molecular motors that increasingly feature light as the power source. Together, these molecular machines are now emerging as a key platform for applications in biomedicine, energy and materials.
“The award of the Nobel Chemistry prize for their groundbreaking work on design and synthesis of molecular machines is well deserved and highlights another research area that have been enabled by the science of light,” said Dr. Gregory Quarles, Chief Scientist, The Optical Society. "Photochemistry breakthroughs have enabled the opportunity for scientists in multiple disciplines to envision the utilization of light-driven motors in applications spanning from smart materials to bio-medicine. The Optical Society and our members world-wide congratulate these scientists on the recognition of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their synthesis of these molecular machines.”
As the research relates to the field of optics, Bernard L. Feringa of University of Groningen, Netherlands, has demonstrated a unidirectional molecular motor which used ultraviolet photons ( > 280 nm) as the power source. The monodirectional behavior of the molecular motors relies on the axial chirality and two chiral centers in the molecules. The highly controlled rotation of the molecules not only used UV photons, but also alternating heat cycles, to relax and then stress the molecule, driving the rotation.
Molecular nanotechnology is still young as a science, but the potential impact for the future is clear from today’s award. This topic and many more were discussed at CLEO:2016 with Ray Kurzweil, inventor, author and futurist. Kurzweil discussed the law of accelerating returns for technology and its impact on business and society on 8 June 2016 during The Optical Society’s centennial Light the Future program. Dr. Steven Chu, Nobel laureate, former U.S. Secretary of Energy and OSA Fellow and Honorary Member, led the conversation with Kurzweil covering a range of topics nanobotics in the larger context of societal advancement.
The full program is available to OSA members. You can view the Q&A with Kurzweil and Chu here or on The Optical Society’s YouTube channel.
About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org/100.
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