Guillaume De Bo

Our research aims at controlling mechanical force at the molecular level for application in synthetic chemistry, materials and biology. We focus on the design of new mechanophores, and the use of mechanical bonds (catenane, rotaxane) to promote unsual mechanochemical processes. We investigate our systems in silico, with the CoGEF technique, and in solution, by ultrasonic activation of polymer chain-centered mechanophores.

1. Zhang, M.; De Bo, G. A Catenane as a Mechanical Protecting Group. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142 (11), 5029–5033. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c01757
2. Stevenson, R.; Zhang, M.; De Bo, G. Mechanical Activation of Polymers Containing Two Adjacent Mechanophores. Polym. Chem. 2020, 11 (16), 2864–2868. DOI: 10.1039/D0PY00279H
3. Zhang, M.; De Bo, G. Mechanical Susceptibility of a Rotaxane. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141 (40), 15879–15883. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06960
4. Zhang, M.; De Bo, G. Impact of a Mechanical Bond on the Activation of a Mechanophore. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140 (40), 12724–12727. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08590
5. Stevenson, R.; De Bo, G. Controlling Reactivity by Geometry in Retro-Diels–Alder Reactions Under Tension. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139 (46), 16768–16771. DOI : 10.1021/jacs.7b08895

1. De Bo, G.; Gall, M. A. Y.; Kuschel, S.; De Winter, J.; Gerbaux, P.; Leigh, D. A. An Artificial Molecular Machine That Builds an Asymmetric Catalyst. Nat. Nanotech. 2018, 13 (5), 381–385. DOI: 10.1038/s41565-018-0105-3
2. De Bo, G.; Gall, M. A. Y.; Kitching, M. O.; Kuschel, S.; Leigh, D. A.; Tetlow, D. J.; Ward, J. W. Sequence-Specific Β-Peptide Synthesis by a Rotaxane-Based Molecular Machine. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139 (31), 10875–10879. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b05850
3. De Bo, G.; Dolphijn, G.; McTernan, C. T.; Leigh, D. A. [2]Rotaxane Formation by Transition State Stabilization. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139 (25), 8455–8457. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b05640
4. De Bo, G.; Kuschel, S.; Leigh, D. A.; Lewandowski, B.; Papmeyer, M.; Ward, J. W. Efficient Assembly of Threaded Molecular Machines for Sequence-Specific Synthesis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136 (15), 5811–5814. DOI: 10.1021/ja5022415
5. Lewandowski, B.; De Bo, G.; Ward, J. W.; Papmeyer, M.; Kuschel, S.; Aldegunde, M. J.; Gramlich, P. M. E.; Heckmann, D.; Goldup, S. M.; D'Souza, D. M.; et al. Sequence-Specific Peptide Synthesis by an Artificial Small-Molecule Machine. Science 2013, 339 (6116), 189–193. DOI : 10.1126/science.1229753

Orcid ID: 0000-0003-2670-6370
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• Design of new mechanophores
• Mechanochemistry with mechanical bonds
• Investigation of mechanochemical transformations