分子组装机器:纳米工厂

Molecular Assembler: Nanofactories

在2016年获得诺贝尔化学奖后,分子机器作为最具应用前景的化学领域之一而广受关注。从属于其中的分子组装机器是一种能在微观尺度上精确控制化学反应的机器,又可称为纳米工厂。本文对纳米工厂的设计思路进行简要综述,结合工作原理与实际表现分析近年来相关的研究成果,并对其研究前景与面临的诸多挑战加以陈述与总结。

Molecular machines have attracted significant attentions as one of the most promising aspects of chemistry for their potential applications ever since receiving the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The molecular assembler, also called the nanofactory, is a novel type of molecular machines that are capable of controlling the chemical reactions precisely at the microscopic level. As an analog to the macroscopic factories, nanofactories are comprised of a "transporting" part, the molecular walkers, and an "assembling" part, the molecular robotic arms. In this review, we provide a brief introduction of the research progress in recent years together with analysis on the principles of designing, constructing and operating molecular assemblers. We also summarize the prospects and challenges in the research area of molecular assemblers.