Chemical reactions proceed with a preferential direction, by liberating energy. However, it is possible to use an energy source to enable chemical processes to evolve in the opposite direction, upon absorption of energy. These energy-absorbing reactions are central to Life, and are technically termed endergonic. They are achieved by enzymes, that change conformation during their catalytic cycle. Thus, biological non-equilibrium processes are associated with catalytic processes. The realization of catalysis-driven processes in artificial systems proved challenging. At the start of this process it was limited to synthetically demanding interlocked structures, which were upgraded with catalytic features, for example to affect ring sliding motion.
With KI-NET, we explore general biomimetic strategies enabling endergonic processes driven by chemical catalysis. KI-NET scientific objectives go beyond state of the art in chemically-driven non-equilibrium systems, with the aim to:
(i) establish an unconventional theoretical approach based on “effective transition states”, that guides experiments and reveals common underlying principles for catalysis-driven processes and chemical oscillations;
(ii) realize endergonic conformation changes and transport phenomena powered by catalytic processes;
(iii) promote endergonic chemical reactions (bond-forming);
(iv) realize an artificial synthase: a catalyst that harvests energy from one reaction and uses it to drive a different one.
We implement a theory-guided experimental approach at the interface between systems chemistry and molecular machines. We address questions that expand towards physics – in terms of formalizing models – and biology – in terms of operating systems to be imitated and unraveled.
