Single-molecule pulling: fundamentals and applications in molecular electronics and molecular motors

Speaker: Ignacio Franco, Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University

In this talk, I will first discuss how to simulate single-molecule pulling experiments using molecular dynamics and how to interpret the basic phenomena that are typically observed upon pulling. Then, I will talk about the integration of single-molecule pulling with molecular electronics and, in this context, introduce a prototype of a molecular switch that is based on unfolding a molecular stacker. Last, I will discuss a DNA-based optomechanical motor coupled to an AFM and comment on the use of single-molecule pulling for quantifying the energy transduction capabilities of molecules.