One-Molecule Nanocar Takes a Test Drive 51
MrSeb writes "Just a couple of months after nanoengineers at Tufts University developed an 18-atom single-molecule electric motor, researchers from the University of Twente in the Netherlands have gone one better: They've made a car using just a single molecule. To create the vehicle, Tibor Kudernac and colleagues crafted a molecule with a long body and four 'paddle' (wheel) features attached at each corner. The molecule was created with a bottom-up process, where each part of the molecule is gently slotted together. By applying tiny amounts of electricity with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to the finished vehicle, the wheels are forced to make a quarter turn. The wheels naturally take another quarter turn to restore equilibrium — and then the STM starts the process all over again. The end result is very slow forward movement — six nanometers per 10 electric pulses."
Re:Cool (Score:4, Funny)
Not at all. Have you seen the parking fees in town lately? This product serves a real need. Now you can drive to work on a molecule, and keep it in your pocket during work hours. Moreover, it's eco-friendly. I'm told molecules run on electricity.
Re:Cool (Score:2, Funny)
Where do you store the millions of STMs that you need to run them?
In the millions of molecular trunks, of course.
Re:Cool (Score:4, Funny)
Why can't people be happy with what they've got?!?