Molecular shuttle

A molecular shuttle in supramolecular chemistry is a special type of molecular machine capable of shuttling molecules or ions from one location to another.

This field is of relevance to nanotechnology in its quest for nanoscale electronic components and also to biology where many biochemical functions are based on molecular shuttles.

Academic interest also exists for synthetic molecular shuttles, the first prototype reported in 1991 based on a rotaxane.

[1] This device is based on a molecular thread composed of an ethyleneglycol chain interrupted by two arene groups acting as so-called stations.

The terminal units (or stoppers) on this wire are bulky triisopropylsilyl groups.