Molecular machines, catalysis & smart materials
We are a small team at the University of Basel, funded by an SNSF Ambizione fellowship and hosted by Prof. Marcel Mayor. Our work sits at the intersection of catalysis and molecular machines—for in-solution and materials applications.
Developing new molecular machines—motors, switches—as fundamental building blocks for complex nanoscale devices.
Driving reactions by an orthogonal source of energy.
Engineering new "active" materials able to adapt and evolve in response to their environment.
The long-term goal. Combining the technological bricks we create with existing systems, we plan to engineer molecular "powertrains"—where motors, switches, gears and endergonic synthesis work in concert, leading to highly complex behaving systems. A small step toward artificial life.