pH Sensitive Molecules Could Be Used to Create Muscles

Oct-29-12 The creation of a molecular chain that responds to changes in pH levels could open the door to a new generation of artificial muscles.

To make the chain, the team at France's Université de Strasbourg took advantage of rotaxane molecules, which are shaped like a dumbbell and surrounded by a ring called a macrocycle. The macrocycle is rich in positive ions, and will move from one side of the rotaxane dumbbell to the other as it seeks the environment with the most negative ions. The team found that by stringing the molecules together, they created a chain that would contract or expand in response to higher or lower pH levels. Two rotaxane molecules next to each other will create a sort of extension, like on a seatbelt or backpack, and connecting the pairs with a ligand molecule and certain metal ions creates a “daisy chain” that will lengthen or shorten depending upon the surrounding pH level.

The next step is to bind several of the chains into a fiber in order to make the aggregate large enough for practical use.

Image: Sabrena Carter

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[DISCOVERY.COM]

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