Molecular Shuttles

Our goal is to create a light sensitive molecule that can function as a retinal prosthetic. When stimulated by light, the molecule will be able to shuttle ions across the cell membrane in a process similar to photosynthesis. In particular, sodium shuttling is important because sodium ions play a significant role in stimulation of neurons. This ion shuttling also has applications in fuel cell technology because the molecule functions similarly to photosynthesis in that light energy is stored as chemical energy. Thus far, I have synthesized several starting materials necessary for the project and have assisted in the synthesis and purification of several steps of the formation of this novel molecule. I have also created a crown anthraquinone for comparison testing. The implications of this molecule are far reaching, in the medical field and in terms of green technology.