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What is a molecular machine? According to Professor Li Zhanting from the Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, to put it simply, a molecular machine is at the molecular level, consisting of one molecule or several molecules, and realizes the movement of a macro machine through the movement of molecules. Li Zhanting introduced that the mentor of the first winner, Professor Jean-Pierre Sauvage, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987 for "supramolecular chemistry". The contribution of Professor Jean-Pierre Sauvage this time is that he was the first to work in the field of molecular machine research and development. In 1983, he constructed a supramolecular structure through coordination and successfully connected two ring-shaped molecules to form a chain. For a machine to be able to perform tasks, its various components must have the ability to move relative to each other, and these two interlocking ring-shaped molecules fit this requirement. Tian He, a professor at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that in 1991, the American chemist Stoddart was the first to propose the concept of "molecular shuttle", which is to put a molecular macrocycle, a rotaxane, on a rigid rod-shaped molecule. The molecular macrocycle can shuttle back and forth on the molecular rod. “After being given energy, the various modules of the molecular machine will move relative to each other, just like the machines we are familiar with." The third winner, Professor Bernard L. Ferlinga, was the first person to develop molecular motors and had pioneering work in the field of light-controlled single-molecule motors. Tian He said that Ferlinga synthesized a "molecular motor", which has a fixed base, and the molecules located on the upper part of the base will perform 360-degree directional rotation, much like the mechanical motors in the macroscopic world. In 1999, he developed molecular rotating blades. Using a molecular motor, he successfully rotated a glass that was 10,000 times larger than the motor. “Three scientists who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year developed three molecular machines, each in a different state. Their pioneering work made mankind realize that molecules can be used as materials to design and build machines in the microscopic world. ”Tian He said. What is the significance and application value of molecular machines? What is the significance and application value of the advent of molecular machines? Tian He said that many activities in living organisms actually depend on the operation of molecular machines. Scientists study life activities such as cell division, DNA replication, material transportation, and muscle contraction. When they are traced back to the molecular level, they find that they are all the result of the work of many molecular machines. Therefore, chemists can collaborate with life scientists to simulate various life phenomena by designing and synthesizing molecular machines. Molecular machines can also be used to store information and build magical "molecular computers." In 2007, Stoddart led a team to develop a molecular chip that can store information at ultra-high density. Its storage density has reached the level of silicon-based chips in 2020. Qu Dahui, a professor at the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology, explained that the information storage density of silicon-based chips follows Moore's Law (the number and performance of components that can be accommodated on an integrated circuit will double every 18-24 months if the price remains unchanged). However, this law will encounter development bottlenecks, and molecular chips can achieve information storage at the molecular size. Therefore, if they do not follow Moore's Law, they can significantly surpass silicon-based chips in storage density. The Nobel Prize Review Committee pointed out that at present, molecular machines are in the conceptual application stage. Although "molecular machines" have no practical applications yet, how will they change human life in the future? According to reports, it is expected to be used in many fields such as more accurate disease detection, drug delivery, ultra-high-density information storage, energy storage, new materials, sensors, etc. The application prospects are limitless.