Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing the world’s smallest machines, work that could revolutionize computer technology and lead to a new type of battery. Frenchman Jean-Pierre Sauvage, British-born Fraser Stoddart and Dutch scientist Bernard “Ben” Feringa share the 8 million kronor ($930,000) prize for the “design and synthesis of molecular machines,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
- Molecular machines “will most likely be used in the development of things such as new materials, sensors and energy storage systems.”
- Stoddart has already developed a molecule-based computer chip with 20 kB memory.
DO YOU KNOW?
Jean pierre sauvage
- Jean-Pierre Sauvage (born October 21, 1944) is a French coordination chemist working at Strasbourg University.
- He has specialized in supramolecular chemistry for which he has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa.
- A prolific scientist, he has worked in several areas including electrochemical reduction of CO2 and models of the photosynthetic reaction center.
- A large theme of his work is molecular topology, specifically mechanically-interlocked molecular architectures.
- He has described syntheses of catenanes and molecular knots based on coordination complexes.
Sir J. Fraser Stoddart
- Sir James Fraser Stoddart FRS FRSE FRSC (born 24 May 1942) is a Scottish chemist.
- He is Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry and head the Stoddart Mechanostereo chemistry Group in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University in the United States.
- He works in the area of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology.
- Stoddart has developed highly efficient syntheses of mechanically-interlocked molecular architectures such as molecular Borromean rings, catenanes and rotaxanes utilizing molecular recognition and molecular self-assembly processes.
Bernard L. Feringa.
- Bernard Lucas “Ben” Feringa born 18 May, 1951, is a synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogenous catalysis.
- He is the Jacobus van ‘t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences.
- He is the Jacobus van ‘t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Netherlands,
- And an Academy Professor and Chair of Board of the Science Division of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences.
