Molekulomotor: A molecule with legs

U.S. researchers have created an engine consisting of a single molecule.

Today, engines of 500 or even 200 nm, very few people will be surprised - we told you about similar projects, not just, say, in notes, " Spin the wheel! "or" Power of degrees . " Now they are huge in comparison with the new record - only 1 nm in diameter. For comparison, human hair in 60 thousand times as thick. This "nanodvigatel" - this is just one molecule.
More specifically, this molecule butilmetilsulfida placed on the conductive copper substrate. Conventionally butilmetilsulfid you can imagine how big a sulfur atom with unequal hydrocarbon "legs" attached to it from two sides: one "leg" length of one carbon atom and one - four. Sulfur atom of the molecule provides a link with the copper substrate, and "legs" can rotate around it.
It now remains to take a scanning tunneling microscope , and bring it closer to the sulfur atom needle, apply for a weak electricity. It's done, "legs" are beginning to turn. Engine is running. Moreover, by changing the temperature, you can achieve different speeds.
To detect this rotation, the authors, led by Charles Sykes (Charles Sykes) lowered the temperature to 5 K, but, of course, raising its engine makes spinning much faster. Scientists believe that sooner or later "butilmetilsulfidnye engines" will be used in microtechnology - say, if they cover thousands of inner surface of the microtubes can significantly speed up the flow of liquid in it.