Bacteria-like motility in soft matter systems

Abstract

Artificial molecular machines, motors, and switches display mechanically relevant motion with an ever-increasing degree of sophistication. However, synchronizing the action of these dynamic molecules remains a key challenge for nanotechnology, and amplifying their nanoscale motion over increasing length scales, into the emergence of autonomous, functional and adaptive materials remains an elusive task.
I will discuss how we draw inspiration from biological systems to encode the concerted action of dynamic molecules in soft materials. These radically new approaches result in complex motion at the observable, macroscopic scale. In particular, by coupling light-responsive molecular motors with chiral liquid crystals, we have designed unique nanomolecular systems that drag, rotate and pulsate, and move along chemical gradients.