Single-molecule electric motor

The single-molecule electric motor is an electrically operated synthetic molecular motor made from a single butyl methyl sulphide molecule.[1] The molecule is adsorbed onto a copper (111) single-crystal piece by chemisorption.[1] The motor, the world's smallest electric motor,[2] is just a nanometer (billionth of a meter) across[3] (60 000 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair). It was developed by the Sykes group and scientists at the Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences and published online September 4, 2011.[4]

  1. ^ a b Tierney, Heather L.; Murphy, Colin J.; Jewell, April D.; Baber, Ashleigh E.; Iski, Erin V.; Khodaverdian, Harout Y.; McGuire, Allister F.; Klebanov, Nikolai; Sykes, E. Charles H. (4 September 2011). "Experimental demonstration of a single-molecule electric motor". Nature Nanotechnology. 1 (10). Nature: 625–629. Bibcode:2011NatNa...6..625T. doi:10.1038/nnano.2011.142. ISSN 1748-3387. PMID 21892165.
  2. ^ "Single Molecule Makes Smallest Electric Motor, Marks Nanoscience Breakthrough". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  3. ^ "Electric motor made from a single molecule". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  4. ^ "World's Smallest Electric Motor Made from a Single Molecule". Science Daily. Retrieved 2011-08-06.