Nanomotor

A nanomotor is a molecular device capable of converting energy into movement. It can typically generate forces on the order of piconewtons.

A proposed branch of research is the integration of molecular motor proteins found in living cells into molecular motors implanted in artificial devices. Such a motor protein would be able to move a "cargo" within that device, via protein dynamics, similarly to how kinesin moves various molecules along tracks of microtubules inside cells.

Starting and stopping the movement of such motor proteins would involve caging the ATP in molecular structures sensitive to UV light. Pulses of UV illumination would thus provide pulses of movement. Nanomotors have also been made using synthetic materials and chemical methods.

Nanotube nanomotor

The first Nanotube nanomotor has been developed in 2003 by the group of Alex Zettl at UC Berkeley ^[1].

Researchers led by Joseph Wang have made a breakthrough development in 2008 by making a new generation of fuel-driven catalytic nanomotors that are up to 10 times more powerful than existing nanomachines ^[2]. It is a major step forward to a practical energy source for powering tomorrow's nanomachines.

See also

• Carbon nanotube
• Electrostatic motor
• Molecular motor
• Nanocar
• Nanomechanics
• Protein dynamics
• Synthetic molecular motors

References

1. ^ Rotational actuators based on carbon nanotubes
2. ^ Speeding up catalytic nanomotors with carbon nanotubes

External links

• Berkeley.edu – Physicists build world's smallest motor
• Nanotube Nanomotor research project