Produces the world's smallest 'four wheel' nanoparticles

A team of Dutch scientists has created a super-small, four-wheeled nanoparticle, according to a study published today in the journal Nature .

The length of this kind of molecule is just one billionth of a meter (nanometers), 60,000 times smaller than human hair and moving in the heat of electrons.

This nanometer-sized particle consists of a central trunk, with four rotating units, each containing several atoms. This car-like nanoparticle moves and moves forward thanks to the energy input from a scanning tunneling electron microscope (STM).

By the method of burning electrons, this optical microscope produces a variation in the interaction between rotors and a copper surface. As a result, these rovers will move around like smooth wheels and drive these tiny molecules forward. This method could help drive these tiny nanoparticles in a specific direction, like a car.

In addition, when scientists actively change the direction of rotation of individual mechanical units, these four-wheeled molecules can also travel in a fixed trajectory.

The result of the Dutch scientists led by Professor Ben Feringa of the University of Groningen has created a new step in the field of mechanical molecular systems research as well as new applications in the field. medical field.