Operating Molecular Machines: Thermodynamic and Kinetic Aspects

Artificial Molecular Machines are nowadays an established field of Chemistry, fully recognized by the recent award of the Nobel Prize to Sauvage, Stoddart and Feringa. However, in comparison with their natural counterpart, they can be considered trivial objects. Indeed efforts to improve their functions, their structural complexity and their ability to perform work while exploiting a continuous energy supply are needed, in order to make these unique artificial molecules useful - ultimately - to society. This thesis collects some of the recent work performed in our lab, aimed at tackling these challanges.