Descrizione del progetto
La chiralità assiale apre le porte a nuovi motori molecolari e a interruttori controllati a distanza
I motori molecolari abbondano in natura. Queste minuscole macchine trasformano l’energia chimica in lavoro meccanico, ispirando gli scienziati a fare lo stesso. Le molecole chirali che manifestano elicità si prestano in modo eccellente all’implementazione di motori molecolari. L’elicità è la chiralità di una molecola elicoidale o a forma di vite attorno al suo asse. La rotazione di questi atomi può fungere da base per motori e interruttori molecolari. Con il sostegno del programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, l’obiettivo del progetto HeliCom è quello di introdurre un frammento assialmente chirale in uno scaffold di alchene. Questo semplificherà contemporaneamente il controllo della direzione di rotazione dei motori molecolari e abbasserà al contempo la barriera dell’inversione di elicità, aprendo la strada all’inversione di elicità fotoindotta e controllata a distanza.
Obiettivo
The project HeliCoM (Helicoid molecular devices for coupled motion) is a 24-month postdoctoral research project to be conducted within Prof. B. Feringa’s group at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Netherlands). This ambitious research aims at developing new molecular motors and switches based on an overcrowded alkene scaffold appended with an helical dibenzo[c,g]fluorene moiety. The chiral information resulting from the introduction of this axially chiral fragment will allow to control the rotational direction of molecular motors without the need of a stereogenic carbon. Oppositely by embedding such scaffold in a molecular switch design and lowering the helicity inversion barrier, we aim at inverting the helicity of the dibenzo[c,g]fluorene through a photoinduced coupled motion of both halves of the overcrowded alkene resulting in a remote control of the helicity. Achieving these goals will require to finely tune the racemization barrier of the dibenzofluorene core in order to produce the desired stimuli responsive compounds. All these objectives aim towards improving the level of function of molecular devices with a potential important scientific impact with numerous applications of the developed methodologies through transdisciplinary collaborations. Preliminary DFT modelling have been performed in order to assess the feasibility of this project and refine the design of the synthetic targets presented herein. The conduction of this project will drastically enhance the employability of the Researcher thanks to the development of new skills (scientific, technical and transversal) and give him the opportunity to perform high-impact research in a renowned group. The Researcher will be directly supervised by Prof. B. Feringa, who is the inventor of synthetic molecular motors and greatly contributed to the field of molecular switches. His experience, completed by the expertise of other members of his group will allow for the straightforward achievement of this project.
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Invito a presentare proposte
(si apre in una nuova finestra) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
Vedi altri progetti per questo bandoMeccanismo di finanziamento
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF -Coordinatore
9712CP Groningen
Paesi Bassi