Patent ID: 7830702

Claim:
A synthetic molecular spring device, comprising: (a) a synthetic molecular assembly having at least one chemical unit or module including: (i) at least one atom, each said atom is a cation of an element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, chromium, manganese, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, nickel, copper, zinc, silicon, and, titanium; (ii) at least one complexing group complexed to at least one of said at least one atom, each said complexing group is a macrocyclic compound selected from the group consisting of porphyrins, dihydroporphyrins and tetrahydroporphyrins; (iii) at least one axial ligand reversibly physicochemically paired with at least one said complexed atom via corresponding atom-axial ligand pairs, each said axial ligand is a heterocyclic compound selected from the group consisting of imidazole, pyridine, 4-tert butyl pyridine, 3-fluoropyridine, 1-methylimidazole, 4-picoline, 4-aminopyridine, piperidine and 4,4′-bipyridine; and (iv) at least one elastic molecular linker having a body and having two ends with at least one said end chemically bonded to another said component of said synthetic molecular assembly, each said elastic molecular linker is a chemical compound selected from the group consisting of alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, substituted phenyls, alcohols, ethers, (phenyleneethynylene)s, 1,4-substituted bicyclo[2.2.2]octanes, and, diethers; and (b) an activating mechanism operatively directed to at least one predetermined said atom-axial ligand pair, wherein following said activating mechanism sending an activating signal to said at least one predetermined atom-axial ligand pair for physicochemically modifying said at least one predetermined atom-axial ligand pair, there is activating at least one cycle of spring-type elastic reversible transitions between contracted and expanded linear conformational states, or, between said expanded and said contracted linear conformational states, of said at least one elastic molecular linker.