The city of Montpellier is located in the south of France, closed to the mediterranean sea and can be reached from Paris in 3h30 by TGV train. Its sweet climate, its cultural and economical dynamisms, as well as its student life make of Montpellier a very attractive place to settle.

► Interview about Nobel Prize of Chemistry 2016
Interview of Frédéric Coutrot in the journal "le monde" about the Nobel Prize awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa.
(Le Monde, October the 7th of 2016)

► SMARTeam in l'Usine Nouvelle
Our double-lasso Molecular Machines highlighted in the magazine "Usine Nouvelle". The article written by Thierry Lucas and entitled "Molécules au travail" can be read in, L'Usine Nouvelle, n°3273, 23/02/2012, 52-54.

► SMARTeam in Sciences et Vie !
An interview of Frédéric Coutrot in the magazine "Science et Vie". The article, written by Roman Ikonicoff and entitled «nanomachines» can be read in the September issue of 2012.

The SMARTeam is located in the University of Montpellier (France), in Balard Building of the Cnrs campus. It is part of the institute of Biomolecules Max Mousseron (UMR Cnrs 5247). Our current research projects mainly concern the synthesis and the studies of original molecules, based on supramolecular or interlocked architectures (peptido and glycorotaxanes, lassos, double-lassos, molecular muscles), aimed to be used from the material (polymers) to the medicinal field (recognition, targeting, prodrugs, probes, diagnosis, ...). We are particularly interested in new conceptual approaches using Molecular Machines.

Last News !

Covers of Journals !

Smarteam in the press !

How to reach the laboratory ?

Address: 

Dr. Frédéric Coutrot
Supramolecular Machines and ARchitectures Team
Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM)UMR 5247 Cnrs - Université Montpellier - Pôle Chimie Balard recherche
1919, route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex 5
Tél. 04 48 79 21 46
frederic.coutrot@umontpellier.fr

Frédéric Coutrot

Depending on pH, the two loops of the eight-shaped interlocked structure adopt interdependent tightened or loosened conformations.
In comparison with their linear analogues, if the restrained conformational degree of freedom in macrocyclic structures is known to improve physical and chemical properties, there is no doubt that the interlocked cyclic nature of this eight-shaped molecular architecture may give new asset, through the possibility of gliding the macrocycle to modify with control the size and shape of the two loops.
This kind of rotaxane architecture, a figure-of-eight rotaxane, which adopts distinct conformations, may inspire new conceptual approaches in domains as different as materials and medicinal chemistry.


To read the article: F. Coutrot et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202310643

Highlighted by D. Zhao and G. Yang in Synfacts 2023, 19, 1193

The SMARTeam on the front cover of the journal Angewandte Chemie by publishing the first figure-of-eight rotaxane molecular machine !