Reaction: Of myths, misconceptions, and motors—A matter of equilibrium

Abstract

David Leigh earned a PhD in crown ether chemistry from the University of Sheffield in 1987 and has held professorial positions at the Universities of Warwick, Edinburgh, Manchester, and East China Normal University. Landmark examples from his laboratory include the introduction of synthetic molecular ratchets and the first catalysis-driven small-molecule motors. The latter were recently used to demonstrate the transduction of chemical energy through motor catalysis, the fundamental process underpinning biology.