Ben Feringa: The Art of Building Small – from molecular switches to motors

Beyond the current frontiers of chemical sciences there is vast uncharted territory to control dynamic function based on molecular and supramolecular approaches. Taking inspiration from Nature’s design, the creative power of synthetic chemistry provides unlimited opportunities to realize our own molecular world as we experience every day with products ranging from drugs to displays. In the art of building small we explore the fascinating field of molecular nanoscience. Among the major challenges ahead in the design of complex artificial molecular systems is the control over dynamic functions and responsive behaviour. A major goal is to gain control over translational and rotary motion. The focus is on my journey in the world of molecular switches and motors creating opportunities for smart pharmaceuticals, responsive materials and molecular machines.
0:00 | Intro
0:22 | Welcome Speech by András Perczel, Full Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Professor at the Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University,
3:39 | Lecture by Nobel Laurate Ben Feringa: The Art of Building Small – from molecular switches to motors
58:20 | Q&A

Ben Feringa, a professor at the University of Groningen, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016, sharing it with Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Jean-Pierre Sauvage for their work on the design and synthesis of molecular machines. Professor Feringa was the first to create a molecular rotor blade that rotated continuously in the same direction, capable of spinning a glass cylinder about ten thousand times larger than the molecular motor. He is also credited with creating the molecular car (a so-called nanocar).

The lecture was delivered at Eötvös Loránd University, 16th May 2024.
Professor Feringa also participated in a roundtable discussion at Budapest University of Technology and Economics:    • A molekuláris gépek robaja – Beszélge...  

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