Nature has extraordinarily efficient means to convert chemical to mechanical energy and motion. No synthetic or hybrid systems come close to such efficiencies at any scale. Through design of precisely assembled synthetic systems and close coupling to theory and simulation, we hope to elucidate the roles of key nanoscale features that enable high efficiency. To date, most systems studied interfere when functional molecules and assemblies are put in proximity. These results point to the need for greater control in spacing and interactions at the chemical and assembly scales. First examples of cooperative function have been demonstrated in simple synthetic systems and will be discussed.  Understanding the differences between our intuition, which is based on the macroscopic world, and the rules of nanoscale motion will be critical to further advances.

Motion and dynamics across scales

246th National Meeting (2013)

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